Another Reality
by Stacie M. DeShazer
Summary: A/U What would have been different if Lou's father had been a good man? Pairings: Kid/Lou; Jimmy/OC (Lee); Buck/OC (Lynn); Ike/Emily; Cody/Samantha; Noah/Cassie; Boggs/OC (Cindy) Story is complete. TRIGGER WARNING: Domestic Violence (Original Characters) is part of this story. Attempted Rape (Original Characters) is part of this story. Please Review.
1. Chapter 1

**Another Reality**

**by: Stacie-Marie Covington DeShazer**

**Disclaimer: **_Oh boy it's that time again. OK here's the boring formalities. The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the popery of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. For entertainment purposes only, no money is being made off of this story. Feel free to post this story on your web site or send this story to a friend with disclaimers attached. (If you have your own disclaimer posted on your site, lease keep the "Thanks" part of the disclaimer and anything else that you think might help our readers to follow the story.)_

**Now for the other formalities (Author's Notes and Thanks): **_This is an Alternate Universe story, so if things don't fit into __The Young Riders__Universe as you know it, that's why. __**Hint:**__You might want to forget everything about Lou's past on this one - I've changed her past. Therefore the history of Boggs, Jeremiah, and Theresa, and Mary (Lou's mother) are going to be different also. I'm going to try to keep everyone else's past like the creators of __The Young Riders__ had it. But please forgive me if I had to change something of someone else's history for the story.__Thanks to my __**beta readers**__, my two Cyber Sisters Lynn, Suzy, Greg, Maja, Josh, Hanny, Aimee, Becca and a special thank you to Kathi, Heidi and Starbright who betaed the last chapters for me. Thank you for helping and even on a few occasions giving the scene to write when I got "writers" block, for making sure I stayed "in character", and for proofreading for all my typos, spelling, and grammar mistakes. I couldn't have written this story without you!_

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_**April 1, 1960**_

"Thank you for helping out like this. I don't know how I was going to cook for all those boys with this busted arm."

"I'm just sorry that Jeremiah didn't fix that step properly. Pa's going to make him do it over."

"It shouldn't be your punishment to come out here to cook for me and the boys. It was your brother's carelessness not yours."

"Emma, you've been like a mother to me since Ma died. It's not punishment. for me to come out here and help you out and spend time with a friend."

"Well, just the same thank you. I couldn't have supper on the table for all those boys and Mr. Spoon without you." Emma smiled.

"Why were they trying to show off earlier? Didn't they know they looked liked fools? And the girl. What's her name Lee? What is _she_ doing riding for the Express?"

"Some people have no other choice, Louise. We don't know her situation. Besides, if that was the only way to survive, you would do the same thing." When Emma saw the doubtful look on Louise's face, she added "And don't deny it. You are a strong young lady and would do anything for your family. So don't go judging anyone without knowing their story."

Before Louise could answer the older woman, someone knocked on the door. When Louise opened the door, she saw a sandy haired, blue eyed young man standing at the entrance. She couldn't stop staring into those blue eyes. Eyes as crystal blue as she imagined the sea would be.

The young man seemed to be having the same problem. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He had seen her earlier that day from afar, but she was even more beautiful up close. She was wearing a pair of brown riding pants with a white tight fitting blouse. He almost forgot what he came to tell Emma. "Uh ... I'm Kid, one of the riders, Teaspoon said to tell Miss Shannon that we would have supper in the bunkhouse."

"All right, it should be ready in another half hour." Louise trembled. _What is it about this guy that made her so nervous?_ "I'm Louise McCloud. I'm helping Emma out while her arm heals up."

"I got to get back to work." Kid said, after a moment of awkward silence.

"Who was it?" Emma asked.

"That was Kid. He said that supper would be in the bunkhouse." Louise said distractedly.

At supper that night, Emma introduced herself as the owner of the land and the house. She introduced Mary Louise McCloud as the doctor's daughter and told the boys that Louise would be cooking until Emma's arm healed up.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Jeremiah greeted Louise at the door. "Boy are you in trouble, you missed supper and Pa had to cook. And you know how he hates to cook! PA! LOUISE IS HOME!" the young lad shouted.

Bogdanovich "Boggs" Jeremiah McCloud came out of his office area to see his oldest daughter trying to get in the door. However her 13 year old brother would not budge an inch. The boy wanted to see his older sister get into trouble. She never got into trouble, except when she tried to wear pants to church, but that was two years ago.

"Jeremiah, sit down at the table, Louise and I have something to discuss with you." He said in a grim voice. The boy did as he was told not sure what to expect. "Do you know why your sister is late getting in tonight?" Jeremiah shook his head no. "Do you remember that step that you fixed yesterday for Miss Shannon?"

"Yes, Sir." he said proudly.

"Remember, how you hurried through it and didn't do too good a job on it?"

"Yes, Sir, but it worked didn't it?"

"No it didn't work." Louise said angrily.

"What do you mean 'It didn't work'? You weren't there! It works fine!" he informed his sister.

"Jeremiah, if the step works fine, why did Miss Shannon come into my office this morning with a broken arm from when she fell when the step that you fixed broke when she stepped on it? She had her hands full and fell on her arm and broke it. You know how important it was that she had that step fixed by today. You know that she was supposed to start a new job today. Louise had to go over there and fix supper for 6 young men, the new station master AND Emma. That's why I had to cook supper for us." Dr. McCloud was about to go on when he was interrupted.

Jeremiah had turned to his sister, the step forgotten and spoke up, "What were they like? I hear that the Pony Express is going to be wonderful! And the riders will be heroes!"

"You'll get a chance to meet them tomorrow after school because you're going back over there to fix that step properly!"

"But, Pa" Jeremiah wined.

"You're the one who broke it when you tried to shoot the rabbit under the porch the other day. You're the one who will fix it so that no one else gets hurt."

"Yes, Sir."

"Louise, you best be getting to bed, if you're going to help Emma out in the morning."

"Yes, Pa. Good Night. Good Night Jeremiah."

"Night Louise, you better be quiet, Theresa's been sick since we came home from school. I think she just wants to get out of the math test tomorrow."

Dr. McCloud and Louise rolled their eyes at this comment, knowing that Theresa loved school and it would be Jeremiah who would try to get sick to get out of going to school.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

As the riders were getting ready for bed, Cody was trying lay his claim to Louise. "She sure is pretty."

"Who?" Lee asked, paranoid that he had seen through her disguise.

"Miss McCloud. Who'd you think I meant? Miss Shannon?"

"And what's wrong with Miss Shannon?" Lee asked teasing the boy.

"I ain't got nothing against her, it's just that Miss McCloud is..."

"A lady" Kid interrupted dreamily.

All heads turn toward the gentle rider.

"It sure did take a long time today when he went to tell Emma about dinner." Jimmy teased.

"What are you talking about?" Kid asked as he sat up on his bunk.

"We were just wondering what you and Miss McCloud were talking about." Buck said.

"Nothing" Kid blushed.

"Sure didn't look like nothing to us. And you even blush when you think about her!" Cody teased.

Lee fearing if she said anything left to go for a walk while the boys ragged Kid out. She felt sorry for him, but couldn't afford to have her identity discovered. Jimmy had to hold himself from going after the small "boy".

Ike signed something that Buck translated into "He said leave the Kid alone"

"We don't care if he likes her." Jimmy said.

"Didn't you hear, she's the doctor's daughter. Her father would never let any of us near her!" Buck said.

"Speak for yourself." Cody said as he straightened his posture.

"Leave her alone Cody. I think that Kid has staked his claim." Buck translated for Ike.

"What do you mean?" Kid asked.

"We all saw the way you looked at her at dinner. I think Cody is just trying to get to her because of her cooking." Jimmy teased both of his new friends.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Louise was sitting at the table drinking coffee when her father came in. "What are you doing up? It's late."

"Couldn't sleep. Trouble at the Saloon again?"

"No, Mrs. Davis went into labor. She has a healthy baby boy now." The doctor said with a smile. "So what's keeping you up?"

"Oh, I don't know. I just can't get those Pony Express riders out of my mind." _One in particular. Kid, what is it about you that I can't stop thinking about you?_ Louise thought.

"What about them?"

"They're all about my age. Why are they taking on such a dangerous job? Don't they know that the Inadains'll kill 'em if they ride on their land?"

"Some people are not as lucky as you, Louise. You have me to provide for you. From what I hear, these boys have no parents. Some of them might even have younger brothers and sisters that they have to provide for. When you're in that situation, you take any job you can get."

Louise sighed, remembering Lee. _I wonder what her story is._ "I guess."

Dr. McCloud looked at his daughter and was reminded of the look that her mother got when she looked at him. He decided not to ask any further questions for now. He'll go out to Miss Shannon's tomorrow and see for himself which of the boys had caught his baby girl's eye. _I'm not really ready for this. Mary, I could really use your help right now. _He thought.

Up till now, Louise showed no interest in suitors. She thought of every "boy" in town as her "buddy". Of course, playing with them as a child, and even now she'd race them on horseback and target practice with them, probably helped in that mindset. Of course her father was thankful for that.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

After breakfast at the station, the doctor made the visit he promised himself to make. Emma was on the swing watching Teaspoon train the boys. "How are you doing, Emma?"

"Just fine, thanks to Louise."

"Where is she?"

"She's in the house fixing lunch for us all."

He just nodded and sat down in a chair.

Emma just nodded. _Louise's mind has been on certain young rider all morning. I bet she forgot to make a small lunch for her father because she wasn't paying attention to what she was doing._

"Jeremiah should be over right after school to fix the step properly. Feel free to make him do any extra chores around here. He has to learn that laziness is not acceptable."

"That's all right, Mr. Spoon said that the riders will be doing all the chores around here. All I have to do is cook and do their laundry. All though, Louise may take away the cooking part of my job. The boys really enjoyed their first meal here."

"Emma, Louise has learned a lot from you, but your cooking is still better than hers." Boggs smiled.

"Hey I heard that!" Louise said as she went out onto the porch. "What are you doing here, Pa?"

Boggs looked up and saw his daughter in a blue and white polka dotted dress, the top of the dress fitted and the skirt flared out. _Yep, one of these boys definitely has caught her eye to get her in a dress. _Boggs just smiled and kissed his daughter's hand, "I came to get some lunch. You didn't leave any thing for me."

"Yes I did. I left you some soup and bread."

"Jeremiah and Theresa took all of it to school. They said that they needed it for _their_ lunch."

"They took _all_ of it?" Louise asked even though she should not be surprised. Jeremiah could eat them out of house and home if they let him.

"Yep."

Louise was jealous at how much he could eat and not gain any wait. If she ate half as much as her younger brother, she would be fat as Bertha. Of course the difference between her and Bertha was Bertha was looking for a husband, Louise couldn't care less right now. So what if all the girls her age except for Cindy Nelson and Bertha Martin were married. She didn't like any of the boys in town that way. Most were good friends, like brothers. The others - no girl wanted for a beau, let alone a husband.

"Then you and the kids should be out here for supper too, cause that was also your supper. Since you're here, you can help me take this over to the bunkhouse."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"Hey, Kid, looks like Miss McCloud already has a beau." It was Cody who saw Boggs look at Louise lovingly and decided to take it upon himself to say something to the Kid. Kid looked toward the porch just as Boggs lifted Louise's hand to kiss it.

"Kissing a lady's hand, doesn't mean anything. Where I come from that's the gentlemanly thing to do." Kid retorted. He would wait until he found out who this man was before forming an opinion. Besides, Louise wasn't his, he wished she was, but Cody just might be right. He was new in town and she wasn't. She had grown up in Sweetwater.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

At lunch, Dr. McCloud was introduced to the riders and Teaspoon. He saw the young man that kept his daughter up all night. He figured out it was the one they called Kid, by the way Louise looked at him. She got the same look in her eyes that she did the night before, while talking to him. He also saw the way Kid looked at his baby girl. No matter how old she got, she would always be his baby girl. _Lord, I'm not sure I'm ready for this. I think our little girl has fallen in love with a cowboy. If he could provide for her, then it wouldn't be so bad. No, I probably would find something else wrong with him. Oh, Lord, help me! How am I going to do this without Mary?_ He prayed. Then he told himself, _Don't over react now, they're not even courting right now. Just admiring each other from afar. So maybe it won't go any feather. _All Boggs knew was that his daughter was not going to struggle like he and Mary did their first few years of marriage.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Louise, why are in a dress? It's not Sunday Morning Church." Jeremiah asked as Kid showed him how to fix the step.

"Cause I felt like it." Louise said, blushing.

"But you never wear a dress unless Pa _makes_ you wear one. And that's only to church and dances."

"Jeremiah, if your finished embarrassing your sister, you can go get your other sister from town. Ya'll are going to have supper out here tonight. Since you took your supper to school for lunch." Emma said.

"Can I help it if Louise didn't fix enough? Besides Pa said to tell Louise that he was eating out tonight with Miss Nelson."

Louise smiled. So her father had listened to her suggestion to take Cindy to dinner. Cindy had confided in her best friend about her interest in Dr. McCloud. Louise knew that her father had had an eye on Cindy ever since she came back from finishing school. (The same finishing school that Louise got expelled from for fighting. It wasn't her fault if Georgia boasted about how many slaves her family had. Louise had just tried to shut the girl up. It worked too.) But ever since Cindy had come back from school in May, she had looked a lot less like the little girl that went off and more and more like a lady. Boggs had forgotten all about the age difference. Even though Louise and Cindy were the same age, Cindy acted a lot older. Or maybe it was that Cindy acted a lot more like a lady should.

After Jeremiah returned with Theresa, they had supper and the kids were introduced to the riders. Theresa, who the riders at first mistook for a boy, was dressed like her sister was the day before with a hat on covering her long locks.

"I bet all of you a $1 that Louise can out ride any of you!" This came from Jeremiah. And Louise at this comment died on the inside. She didn't want to show off her riding skills. She had been complaining to Emma yesterday about the boys showing off during their training. Of course it was Cody who was bragging about how they were the best riders in the world. When the boys heard this they thought that the young boy admired his older sister. They did not think that there was any truth to the statement.

"You don't have a $1, Jeremiah. Let alone $6." Theresa pointed out. "You already owe Louise your allowance for the next month and half."

"That's OK. because I won't need it. You know that Theresa. Louise is the best rider there is. She's proven it every year at the Founder's Day Picnic Race." When this was revealed, the boys thought that the men and boys of the town just let the lady win the race.

"Jeremiah, maybe I'll lose the race just to teach you not to bet anymore. You don't ever learn do ya?" Louise said referring to the poker "lessons" she gave Jeremiah on the nights that he had no homework.

However, unfortunately, the boys just thought that she knew they were better than she was and Cody had to open his big mouth again. "See, Jeremiah, you should take a lesson from your sister and keep your bragging to yourself, until you know what you're talking about. Ain't no man, let alone, lady that can beat us in a race."

"Oh really?" Emma and Louise said simultaneously. It was Louise that said, "I bet your first week's pay, Mr. Cody, that I could beat you in a race."

The room went silent. Cody looked amused and smiled and said, "You got that much money. Miss McCloud?"

"You let me worry about that." Louise said defiant.

"Now you gone and done it, you've just lost your pay, Mr. Cody." Emma said.

"Everyone knows not to get Louise mad right before a bet, she might actually let you win if you're nice to her." Theresa added.

"Of course, you don't have to take the bet if you're _yellow_." Jeremiah said.

_Of course Jeremiah you would have to match your mouth with William F. Cody's mouth._ Louise thought "Jeremiah, have Lightening ready to ride by the time I get back. I'm changing into my riding clothes." she said as she stared into Cody's eyes. With a look of defiance in her own eyes.

She went into the house and changed into the riding clothes that she had on that morning. When she got back outside, Jeremiah and the riders were waiting for her to return.

Teaspoon stood and watched the boys that had decided to participate in this grudge race between Cody and Louise. Not all of them were keen on losing a week's pay. So Buck and Ike leaned against the fence with Emma, watching the others seated on their horses. The horses sensing the riders excitement nervously pawed at the ground with their hooves.

Teaspoon watched them closely, knowing just how well that Louise rode he knew this was going to be a close race, just how close he wasn't sure but with Louise and two of his best riders in the race anything could happen.

"The winner of this here race will be the first person out to the big mesquite tree and back" he spoke to the participants "Am I clear?" he asked waiting to see them all nod, he lifted his bandanna high in the air "Good Luck everybody" He smiled and then dropped his bandanna signaling the start of the race.

The horses were spurred into action, leaving the way station in a cloud of dust, they galloped as fast as their riders could push them, as if they were all as one with their horses.

Cody grinned to himself as he led the race out to the mesquite patch _This is like taking candy from a baby he thought_, but the smile was wiped from his face as Miss McCloud passed him as he rounded the tree, and then it didn't take long for Kid and Lee to pass him too. _Damn_ he thought as he rode on _When am I gonna stop letting my big mouth get me into trouble_.

As they approached the finish line, three horses were almost inseparable. The horses matched in stamina the riders matched n skill. If the race was held again it could be a different outcome, but today the luck had been with Louise.

Kid knew that he and Katy had raced their best, he couldn't really afford to lose his first weeks pay but his own greed had gotten the better of him and he was sure that Katy was the fastest horse in Sweetwater .

However, Miss McCloud had raced a better race. She had bee the victor. Though Kid and Lee had not been far behind. Lee was just a head behind Louise and Kid was a nose behind Lee. Kid was even more impressed. _Not only can she cook, but she could ride for the Express if she weren't a girl that is._

Dismounting, at the end of the race watching them all congratulating Miss McCloud Cody shook his head in disbelief. How had he let himself be beaten by a girl!

"Mr. Cody, I'll be expecting you to pay me when you get your first week's pay, unless you have the money now?" Louise said sweetly. "oh and you also owe my little brother $1." She turned to the rest of the riders and said, "My bet was with Mr. Cody, not with ya'll. However, I do believe that my little brother bet everyone."

Each of the riders paid Jeremiah $1. Then Jeremiah turned around and paid Louise what he owed her and pocketed the rest. "Jeremiah, remind me to talk to you about your betting." Louise said as she took the payment from her brother.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

After Cody paid Louise his first weeks pay, she went to look for Lee. She was determined to find out why Lee was riding for the Express. She found Lee in the barn. "Hey"

"Hi" Lee said. "Kid's not here. He's on a run."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

Lou looked around making sure that they were alone and no one could over hear. "Why are you dressing like a boy and riding for the Express like this? Don't you know what could happen if they found out?"

Lee looked stunned. "Of course I know what could happen. You won't tell will you?"

"That depends on your reason."

Lee took a deep breath, "I have a twin sister that I'm trying to put through nursing school."

"What about your parents?"

"They both died in Mississippi. We couldn't find our mother's parents and our father's parents don't even acknowledge us. When showed up on their door step they said they had no grandchildren. I wanted to go to school also, but we had no money. So we tried to get a job, the only people hiring women were the whore houses. So I cut my hair and applied for a job with the Express. When they hired me as a rider, we were able to get Lynnette in a Nursing school. When she gets through with school and gets a job as a nurse, I'm going to school to be a veterinarian."

"That must take up all your pay." Louise said stunned.

"Yeah well I'd say it's worth it. My sister is worst my life if need be."

"I know. I have a younger sister." Louise smiled. "Listen, take this, it's what I won from Cody. Put it in your savings and when I can, I'll get you more. What I give you, you save for your own education and if you need _anything_, anything at all, you just let me know, I'll see what I can do. I want to help you out."

Lee looked at the rich girl stunned, more angry than anything, "We don't need your pity!"

"It's not pity, if it were pity, I'd offer you what my father pays me to be his nurse. I'm just trying to help out a friend. I consider all of you my friends. And I help my friends when I can."

"I'm sorry."

"That's OK. Just let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you out."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Six weeks went by and Emma's arm healed. The first dinner Emma cooked for the riders may not have had Louise McCloud physically present, but she sure was the topic of the conversation when Cody suggested that Miss McCloud would not be around any more.

Louise returned to cooking for her family and found that her friend Cindy had been cooking for her father and her siblings. She also got to catch up on the latest gossip, but Cindy could tell that her mind was back at the station.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_My Dearest Lynnette, May 13, 1860_

_My job here at the Pony Express is going good. Hopefully I'll be able to send you a little more money next time. I'm still trying to work out a savings plan so that when you get out of school, we will have a place to call our own._

_In my last letter I told you about the boys that I work and live with here at the station. I also told you about the doctor's daughter, Louise. She and I are becoming good friends, I think you will you like her when you come for a visit next month. Can't wait to introduce you to everybody!_

_Well better go Cody is eyeing this letter pretty hard and I don't want him to read this. I'll try to write more later._

_With all my love,_

_Your Sister,_

_LeAnn_

As Lee sat writing to her sister, Lynnette, Kid and Louise were at the table playing poker with Jimmy, Cody, Buck and Ike_. _By the looks of the pile of money in front of Louise, she was winning. When Cody had lost all his money, he decided to go torment Lee, the smallest of the riders and the easiest to get riled up.

"Whatcha writin', Lee?"

"A letter." she answered and kept on writing."

"Well, why don't you share with all of us?"

"Why don't you leave him alone, Cody?" Louise spoke up. Her father had told her to bring some bandages out to the way station. While she was helping Kid put the bandages in the cupboard in the bunkhouse, it had began to storm, so she stayed.

Cody gabbed the paper from Lee and held it away from the smallest rider.

"Give it back, Cody" Lee said angrily.

"Cody, give it back." Jimmy protested.

But all attempts to come to Lee's rescue stopped when Cody began reading the letter out loud. Lee was mortified. He was going to find out her secret and tell everyone at the same time. _How could I have been so careless as to sign "your sister, LeAnn" Of course Lynn would know that I was her sister why didn't I just sign it "Love Lee"?_ Lee thought.

When Cody finished reading the letter, including the "Your Sister, LeAnn", you could have heard a pin drop. In fact you could hear all the mouths drop open. All mouths except for Lou of course. Lee just ran out into the rain.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"She has right to make her own way the way she sees fit." Jimmy said

"She's putting her sister through school so that she can become a nurse. When her sister finishes, she's going to go to school to become a vet. Please, they have no one but each other." Louise pleaded on behalf of her friend. "Will ya'll keep it just between us?"

"Yes." Came the reply simultaneously from everyone in the room.

"And if anyone in here says anything to Teaspoon about Lee being a girl, then they'll answer to me." Jimmy threatened and promised. As Louise turned to go talk to her friend, Jimmy said, "I'll go after her." Louise stepped aside and let Lee's crush go by, wondering if it was such a good idea to have Jimmy be the one to go after her.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lee ran into barn to her horse's stall. She was sure she had lost her job. She liked here and didn't want to leave. She was trying to hold back the tears, but she was failing. When she heard footsteps, she turned her back to the door. She didn't want anyone to see her cry, least of all Jimmy. And by the sound of the footsteps, it was Jimmy. She would know the firm, sure tread of his feet anywhere.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Jimmy walked quickly from the bunkhouse with a broad smile across his face. He went immediately to her beloved horse, Black Beauty's stall knowing that that's where she would be. He watched her as she stood against her horse trying to stifle her sobs as she stood there. Feeling her pain, but his mind and thoughts clear for the first time in the months since he had met her. "You know it's a lot more comfortable inside the bunkhouse."

Lee wasn't sure she could trust her voice not give away the fact that she had been crying, so she kept silent and her back facing Jimmy.

"Come on back inside." Jimmy tried again.

After she thought she could trust her voice, she asked, "Why so ya'll can ridicule me? No thanks you. I'll sleep out here with Black tonight and then I'll get my stuff and I'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Why are leaving?"

"I'd rather quit than be fired."

"Who says you'll be fired?"

"Even if nobody else tells, Cody'll tell Teaspoon and he'll fire me."

"Nobody's going to say anything. Especially Cody. We all talked it over and convinced Cody that it would not be in his best interest to tell anyone anything."

"He's going to let it slip you know that? He can't keep a secret worth a damn."

"He'll keep this secret if he knows what's good for him."

_Is that love I hear in his voice? _she thought. For the first time since he had entered the barn, she turned to face him. Their eyes locked onto each other for what seemed like forever. Lee could have sworn she saw something different in his eyes, something more than friendship. She decided that it was just wishful thinking. She had fallen in love with Jimmy the moment she set eyes on him. With her low self-esteem, she thought that there was no way that Jimmy could ever return her feelings. Lynn was the pretty and proper one. She was just a tomboy, a "buddy". None of these guys would ever like her in that way.

When Lee's eyes locked with Jimmy, he saw an emotion there that he didn't understand, but hoped against hope that it was the mirror image of his own feelings. He had been mistranslating the feelings he had for Lee since they first met. He thought his protective nature of Lee was because he thought of Lee as younger brother. The "little brother" of the group. Now that he knew she was a girl, he was sure those feelings were more of the romantic nature. But he was that no one could ever love him like that. Just look at the trouble that he caused when Longley was in town. And what about that Marcus fellow. Marcus had made him into a legend. And Jimmy didn't want he reputation that came with it, but he was stuck with it.

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

That night at dinner, Teaspoon spoke up, "Boys, there have been some reports of the Williams Brothers robbing banks and murdering anybody who see them. The Company wants two riders at all times until these robbers and murders are caught. If you see the two brothers, you are to ride as fast as you can away from them. The Company says get the mail through." All of them knew that that meant at any expense to the rider

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

A few days later, a well-dressed, gray haired 6 foot gentleman came to the station. "Excuse me, Sir." The well-built man interrupted Teaspoon. "I was wondering if you could help me. You see I'm looking for my granddaughters. I was wondering if you had seen them." he handed Teaspoon a poster with a drawing of the two girls. It was obvious that the two were twins, but one looked more familiar than the other one. The shorter twin looked exactly like his smallest rider. (If you cut her hair.) _So that's what's different about Lee. I knew there was something different, just couldn't put my finger on it._ The names at the bottom of the page read _Lynnette Helen and LeAnn Arline Ethridge $100 Reward ALIVE_

"My, my, they sure are pretty."

"Yes, well they do take after my son. Although I do unfortunately see some of their mother in them"

"What do want with them?"

"I just want to talk to them."

"Can I keep this?" the man nodded. "I'll see if any of riders have seen these girls. We'll let you know if we see them. Mr..."

"Ethridge, my name is J.D. Ethridge." Mr. Ethridge stuck his hand out for a hand shake.

"All right then, MR. Ethridge, I'm sure that if my boys have seen either or both of them, that they will let you know." Teaspoon said shaking the man's hand and smiling. _I'm going to have a talk with Miss Ethridge right now and see what this is all about._

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"Kid, where's Lee?" Teaspoon asked.

"Uh in the barn mucking out the stalls, why?" Kid replied, but Teaspoon didn't even hear the question as he ran into the barn.

"What's the meaning of this, Young Lady?" Teaspoon asked as Lee looked up and saw him enter the barn. Teaspoon handed her the poster.

_Damn. I'm fired._ She thought as she looked at the poster. She answered Teaspoon truthfully. "I'm not sure. Who gave you this?"

"A Mr. J. D. Ethridge. He said that he just wanted to talk to you. But there was something about him, I don't trust. He said he was grandfather."

"If he was J.D. Ethridge, then he was my grandfather. Although he made it perfectly clear that he did not want us around."

"I don't know. Do you want to talk to him?"

"Not really."

"All right. Then you don't have to talk with him. Kid is supposed to be going with Jimmy to Willow Creek. Why do you go instead. Just be on the safe side that your grandfather doesn't recognize you."

"You mean I'm not fired?"

Teaspoon looked as if he was about to burst out laughing. "No. Why would you be fired? You didn't do anything illegal did you?"

"No, Sir"

"Then you're not fired." He started to turn around then changed his mind to say something, "Oh, just so you know, I knew all long you were a girl if that's what you're worried about." Teaspoon lied. "Just let me know how long it takes for the boys to find out."

"Uh. They already know. Cody found a letter I wrote to my sister." Lee explained.

Teaspoon nodded and walked out of the barn. "You better get ready for that ride, Lee." He called out over her shoulder. "Kid, Lee's going with Jimmy you take over her chores!"

Lee followed Teaspoon out of the barn and got her things together while Kid got Black ready. When Lee entered the bunkhouse, she started to get her things ready to go. Jimmy looked up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Kid and I switched, I'm going with you. I'll tell you about it on the way."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

On the way to Willow Creek, Lee explained how her mother and father were disowned after they married each other and how her mother died of Yellow Fever when she was 10 and then 5 years later, her father was killed by Indians. She had found out that her father's parents lived in Denver. Her and her sister had sold the farm and went to Denver to see the grandparents they had never known. However, when they had gotten there, their grandparents had said that their son had died 20 years ago. Jimmy sympathized with her. She told Jimmy that the reason that she and Kid switched rides, was because her grandfather was looking for her and she did not want to see him. She also told Jimmy that her grandfather had shown a picture to Teaspoon and that he said that he had known all along that she was a girl.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

On the way back, Jimmy and Lee made camp miles away from any town. As if by unspoken agreement, Lee started to make camp, while Jimmy went hunting for small game for their supper.

Jimmy was some distance from their camp tracking their dinner, when he heard a sound that made his blood freeze in his veins. It was Lee's high pitched, terror filled scream. He knew that when they were out on a run together she had started to let down her guard and relax with him, looking more and more like the beautiful young woman she was. A sudden thought flashed thorough his mind that he had left a beautiful young woman alone in camp alone in the middle of nowhere while there was a blood thirsty gang in the territory.

Completely forgetting their dinner he ran towards the camp, fear driving him to run as fast as he could, stumbling over the rocky terrain to get to Lee, to protect her whatever way he could. Reaching the outskirts of the clearing they were camped in his worst fears were realized.

Lee was pinned to the ground, one filthy man holding her down by the shoulder, hr tiny hands caught in his as she struggled against them, the other man stood over her between her legs, holding her flailing legs tight while he struggled to pull her baggy pants from her body.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The Williams Brothers saw Lee with her guard down and she definitely looked like a girl. They were there to hide the money that they just had "acquired" when they saw her. They decided to have a little "fun" with her. When Lee saw them, she screamed. Jimmy was off in the woods and heard the scream and tried to make it back to camp. When he got there, he saw one man holding Lee down on the ground and another standing over her, trying to get her pants off of her.

Without even thinking, Jimmy cocked his navy colt and said in a very stern authoritative voice, "Leave her alone."

"Leave us alone, boy go find your own whore!" The one standing above her said. At that moment, Jimmy pulled the trigger and the bullet went through the man's head while he pulled the trigger again and the second bullet found it's mark in the other gang members heart.

Needless to say they were both dead. "Are you all right?" Lee unable to talk just nodded. "Did they hurt you?" She shook her head no.

"You showed up just in time. Jimmy?" He met her eyes and somehow he couldn't help himself, he couldn't even turn away, drowning in the tear filled depths of her eyes as she spoke "Thank you." Lee wondered if the attraction she thought she felt and saw was really there or not.

"You're welcome." he turned away to go back into the woods, suddenly afraid of the depth of the feelings he felt for her

"Jimmy?" He turned around to face her again hearing the fear in her voice. "Don't go anywhere, please?" Lee pleaded . For the first time since her father's death she was afraid to be alone.

"I'm not going anywhere." He moved the bodies out of her sight and then started searching through their saddlebags to find something for them to eat.

They ate strips of Rachel's beef jerky and drank hot coffee sitting silently around the campfire, settling down to sleep side by side, Jimmy hearing her silent sobs reached out a hand to take hers into his reassuring grasp, trying but not quite sure how to help her through the ordeal she had almost been through.

Twice during the night she woke screaming in terror the evenings event s playing over and over in her mind, after the first time she woke, Jimmy moved his bedroll beside hers and held her in his arms providing as much comfort for her as he could.

Jimmy awoke in the morning with Lee tightly in his embrace, cradled against him spoon fashion, his lips pressed against her sweet smelling hair. He knew he should be starting the campfire for their morning coffee but he couldn't bring himself to move, the feeling of rightness and belonging he felt was too much for him to leave. He lay there for some time just enjoying the feelings that he was having. He knew the very moment she awoke, she stiffened in his arms and he knew she was feeling embarrassed at the weakness she had shown last night, Jimmy was just glad that she felt safe enough with him to be herself and feel secure in his company.

When Lee woke, she was embarrassed at how she could have let that happen last night. She knew better than to let her guard down, but somehow when she was with Jimmy her brain stopped working. And he had seen how she couldn't always take care of herself.

"Good morning" he said with a smile in his voice

"Good morning" she said distractedly. "Um, Jimmy?"

"Yeah?"

"You won't tell the others about what almost happened last night will you?"

"No of course not, not unless you want me too."

"I'd rather you didn't. I don't want anybody to know."

"OK."

"Thank you." she said. As she rolled over to face him, their lips brushed up against one another.

Jimmy didn't know what came over him but he returned her friendly kiss with a love and passion that he wasn't sure he had known he was feeling. He knew he had deep feelings for her but he was confused by just how deep. What surprised him more was the fact that she kissed him back with just as much passion, yet somehow he knew that this was her first real kiss. Their kiss was a kiss reserved for lovers, but somehow it seemed just right for them.

He wasn't sure about Lee but it was at that moment he knew that he loved her more deeply than he had ever loved another person, he knew that if the others ever found out they would never let him have any peace so he decided then and there he would protect his new found love with his life and keep their fledgling love a secret until they were sure it was safe to reveal it.

Lee didn't know Jimmy felt, but she had never felt this way about anyone. But she didn't think that anyone could ever love her the way that she now knew that she loved Jimmy. So she decided not to tell anyone how she felt until Jimmy said something about how he felt.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

As they neared the station, Lee's horse was spooked by a rattlesnake. As Black reared up unexpectedly, Lee slipped off. She started to get up then froze. Jimmy back to see what had happened and saw that Lee looked as if she had seen a ghost. When Jimmy saw what Lee's eyes were glued to, the snake was about to bite her. He immediately drew his gun and killed the snake.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

That night when the nightmares came, she not only woke Jimmy up, but the whole bunkhouse. Everyone saw how she was trembling. Jimmy had a hard time keeping his promise not to say anything when Cody asked what was wrong. "Just a nightmare about snakes is all. I'm terrified of them and Black was spooked earlier today by one." Lee told the boys.

"Yeah I saw that when you and Jimmy came in from your run. If Jimmy hadn't shot the snake you'd been bit." Kid informed everyone.

Jimmy got out of his bed and stood up to where he could see Lee. And talk to her where no one could him but her. (Jimmy was on the bottom bunk and Lee was on the top bunk.) "You all right?" he whispered. Lee Just nodded her head yes. "Was the nightmare really about the snake this afternoon? Or something else?"

"Both" Lee whispered. "I told the truth when I said that I'm terrified of snakes."

Jimmy nodded and wondered if he should try to hold her to help her go back to sleep.

"I'm fine, Jimmy. Really I am. It was only a dream."

"OK. If you're sure. I'm here if you need me."

"All right."

After Lee thought everyone was asleep, she went out onto the porch and sat sown for a while, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. Jimmy had seen her get down from her bunk and walk outside so he followed her. Lee had the door open, she didn't need to turn around to who it was. "Couldn't sleep either huh?"

"Just wanted to make sure that you're all right. For the past two nights, you've been waking up screaming."

"I'm fine." she lied trying to put up her tough exterior.

Jimmy saw through it. He also remembered that her nightmares went away when he held her. While he couldn't really hold her while she slept in the bunkhouse, maybe he could say something that would help her sleep. "Just know that all of us will protect you."

"That's just it, Jimmy, You shouldn't _have _to protect me! I should be able to take care of myself!"

"Why?"

"That's one of the job requirements."

"Do you remember the first Longly called me out?"

"Yeah."

"What did Kid do?"

"He knocked you out."

"Yeah why?"

"He did it to save your life."

"Yep. He did it to protect me." Lee gave him a confused look then she realized what he was saying. Jimmy continued on with what he was saying, "Sometimes we all get into situations that we can't handle by ourselves. And it's OK to need others to help you out." Lee nodded. Jimmy took Lee's face into his hands and kissed her deeply . The first kiss since yesterday morning's "accidental" kiss and Lee returned it with all her pent up fear and passion.

When they finally broke apart, they walked back into the bunkhouse and while Jimmy's words did not keep the nightmares away like his arms did, they did lessen the intensity of the nightmares and she did not wake up screaming anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As he sat at the round table, looking across at his opponent, then looking back down at his cards, he was disgusted. Richard Wicks was just passing through Sweetwater looking for a runaway. The runaway was a 14 year old girl. He had been telling the authorities that she was his daughter, when in fact she was his "employee". Her father had fallen deep in debt to Richard Wicks and had sold his daughter into Mr. Wicks "business" to pay off his debts. However the young girl would have no part of it and ran away her first night with Wicks. So here he was in a little town called Sweetwater looking for this girl, when someone else caught his eye. She was wearing tight fitting pants and a loose blouse and had a young man with her, possibly her brother. They didn't act like a couple. When they sat down at the Poker table, Wicks thought that he could replace the runaway with this girl. Get her brother to loose enough to buy the girl. However it was the girl teaching the boy how to play Poker. When Wicks realized the girl was the one that was going to play, he thought for sure he could get her in debt enough to make her come work for him. However, it had seemed that Lady Luck was with the lady tonight, because she was getting all of his money.

Wick's attention was caught by a young boy of 12 or 13 walking into the saloon. The young boy looked around the room and spotted who he was looking for. "Louise, you get on to me for betting and here you are betting."

Louise sighed and Wicks could tell that she was frustrated with this young boy. "What do you want, Jeremiah?"

"The Kid's looking for you."

Louise signed again "OK. I'll be there in a minute. Let me finish this hand." She studied her cards again. Then decided her move. "All right, Mr. Wicks, since this is my last hand, I'll give you the chance to win back all your money." She announced as she put her winnings into the center of the table.

Wicks thought that this was his chance to get her. He 'Saw" her bet and thinking that she didn't have the money, he doubled the bet. Louise looked at her cards and thought a moment. She knew she shouldn't do this, but she "saw" the bet anyway and "called" him. Wicks looked at his cards and smiled. He had 4 Aces and an eight. Of course the Ace came out of his pocket. Louise looked at her cards and said, "Well, Mr. Wicks, I do believe you have been cheating, and very badly. "Cause I've never known a deck to have two Ace of Spades."

"You trying to cheat, Miss McCloud?" a big hefty man asked as he pointed his gun to the visitor.

"Now hold on there, Raymond. I said he was cheating badly." she said as she laid down a King of Spade, a Queen of Spade, a Jack of Spade, a Ten of Spade, and finally an Ace of Spade.

Wicks saw this as his chance to clear his name. "You're the one cheating. You're the one with the winning hand!"

"Mr. Wicks, I saw you pull that card from your pocket." Lee said as she took the rest of the deck and laid it all out so that you could see what the cards were.

Walter said, "The Nine of Clubs is missing."

"If you search him you'll find it in his shirt pocket." Lee informed them.

Walter searched him as Raymond held him and found the Nine of Clubs in his shirt pocket, just like Lee said. "Looks like we found the cheat!" Raymond said as he cocked the his gun.

"Ray, leave him be. He didn't win, I did. Maybe this will teach him that cheating is no way to make a living."

Wicks smiled at that. "Darlin', I make my livin' by owning an establishment. This is just a hobby." _Yes, I can make more money with her than I ever could with that kid._ He thought.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"All right, Jeremiah. Where's Kid?"

"Right here." Kid said as he walked up behind her. "Just wanted to know if you still wanted to have a picnic tomorrow. Cody switched with me so I got the day off."

"Sure, I'll see ya around noon?"

"OK"

Jimmy and Lee were whispering something to each other when Kid caught up with them and they all rode back to the station together.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When Louise and Jeremiah got back home, there was two reasonably handsome man talking to their father. One was their father's age and the other around Louise's age maybe a few years older.

"Louise, I'm glad you're home. I would like you to meet Nathaniel Becket and his son Christopher. Gentleman my eldest daughter, ;Louise and my son Jeremiah."

"Nathaniel Christopher Becket III at your service Miss McCloud." The youngest of the two men said as he took her hand and kissed it.

"I thought you could show Christopher around town tomorrow, Louise."

"I would but I just made plans for tomorrow, how about the next day?"

"Kid can wait, Louise, you will be hospitable to our guests."

Louise's face was beat red. But she nodded her head and said, "Fine. Tomorrow it is. I'll just go out to the station and let Kid now he changed rides with Cody for nothing."

"You will go up to your room right now, Louise and we will talk about your behavior later." her father demanded. She went to her room like her father asked her to cursing him under her breath the whole time.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

About two hours later, Boggs made his way up to Louise's room. To say that he was angry was an understatement. "What the hell were you thinking out there!?" he practically yelled.

"What the hell was _I_ thinking?! What the hell were _you_ thinking?! Planning my day for me when I had something to do?!" Louise yelled back.

"Louise, you are _my _daughter! You _will_ do what I say! When I say that you will show a friend of mine around town that's what I mean!"

"You had no right! Kid and I were supposed to go on a picnic tomorrow! He even switched rides with Cody."

"Louise, I'm sorry about that, I didn't know. I had already told Chistopher that you would show him around while his dad helped me in the office. Look, why don't you take Christopher out to the station first thing in the morning and explain to Kid what happened, I'm sure he'll understand. And I want you in a dress and acting like a young lady, do you understand?"

"Kid won't understand, he'll kill Christopher," Louise sulked.

"Listen, Louise, I will _not_ approve of a marriage between you and Kid." When he saw the horror on his baby girl's face, he explained why. "Now, Kid's a nice guy and all, but he can't provide for you. I don't want you to have to struggle like your mother and I did."

"But Kid is the one that I love!"

"I love you too much to see you go through what your mother and I went through."

"I won't be your pawn. I'll do what you demanded of me, but I assure you I will be me and I will not marry this man."

"Louise, please act like a lady and wear a dress."

"I'll decide tomorrow what I'll wear. And I will take him out to the station. Just in time for my picnic with Kid. I'm sure he'll enjoy the company of one of the other riders while Kid and I spend some time alone." Louise said defiantly.

"Louise..." Boggs started to warn.

"Good night father." She said as she laid back on her bed signaling that she was through talking. Boggs knew that whatever else he would say would go in one ear and out the other. She was too much like her mother. So he just left, he would talk to her tomorrow morning before Christopher came to pick her up.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The next morning Louise was dressed in a dress while she was making breakfast for her family. Theresa, who knew nothing about what had happened last night, just though that she going to see Kid again. Jeremiah knew that his sister and their father had an argument last night, by the looks of it, Boggs had won the argument. When the doctor descended the stairs and entered the kitchen he said a quiet thank you prayer to God for making Louise wear a dress. He assumed that she was going to act like a lady today. It wasn't until she started loudly putting up the pots and pans that she had just washed that Boggs found out that he might be wrong about his assumption.

"Jeremiah and Theresa you should hurry, you over slept and you're running late. You need to get to school," Louise said sharply.

The kids ate quickly and ran out the door with their school things. The tension was so thick in the room that you couldn't cut it with a knife. Boggs knew that his daughter was mad. He was just trying to do what's best for her. He had started to tell her that, when there was a knock on the door. "That'll be, Mr. Becket, " Louise said angrily. "I'll see you later." And with that, she left.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

As Louise showed Chirstopher around town, they got on a first name basis. While they were walking side by side, he asked, "Surley a beautiful lady such as yourself has a beau."

"As matter of fact, I kinda do." Louise answered.

It dawned on Chris that he was the person that she was supposed to meet. "You were supposed to meet him today, weren't you?"

"Yeah I was. My father doesn't approve of him courting me because of his job."

"What's his job?"

"He's a Pony Express rider."

"What's wrong with that?"

"The pay isn't good."

"You know it's a relief that you're already spoken for." Louise just looked at him. "Yeah, I'm kindda in the same situation you are."

"What you're in love with someone who your father doesn't approve of?"

"You could say that my father doesn't approve of my sweetheart." Chris said smiling.

"Louise!" Kid yelled as he rode down the street as fast as Katy could run.

"Whoa! Kid, slow down, we were just on our way to get the horses to come out to the station. This is Nathaniel Christopher Becket III, Chris this is Kid."

"Please to meet ya. Louise, Jeremiah and Theresa are gone."

"What do you mean gone?!"

"Ike and Buck were returning from their ride when they saw Jeremiah and Theresa tied up in the back of a wagon and heading east, Ike is following and Buck and everybody's getting ready to ride out, Buck's going to track."

"Chris, go back and tell my father that Jeremiah and Theresa have been kidnapped and we're going after them, have him bring Lightening out to the station. I'm going with Kid. And tell him to get Sam." She said as Kid was helping her mounting up behind him.

"Sam's already at the station getting the horses ready." Kid said and they sped off.

On their way back to the station, Kid asked "So who was that guy?"

"My father's friend's son. Seems like his father doesn't like the girl he's in love with so they set us up. Pa wouldn't even let me come out to the station to explain things to you. Chris and I were going to show up and I was going to let one of the other riders show him around while went on our picnic."

"No, I wouldn't let you do that. You're father already doesn't like me, I don't want to do anything make him hate me."

"It's not that he doesn't like you, he just doesn't like what you do for a living."

"Do you have clothes to change into?"

"Yeah I keep some extra clothes at Emma's."

"Good, cause we're going to be riding pretty hard."

"I know. " she said as she got off Katy at the station. "I can keep up."

"I know you can." Kid said as he pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't worry, we'll get your brother and sister back safely."

Louise took a deep breath trying to keep her worries at bay, "I know."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

By the time Louise had changed clothes, her father was already at the station. Just as they were getting ready to ride out, a teenage boy came riding up. "Dr. McCloud, my pa said to come get you. Ma's real sick."

"Boggs, you go take care of Mrs. Harris, we'll get your kids back." Sam said.

Boggs looked at his daughter, "Louise, you look after them, you here?"

"I will, Pa." She said. Boggs turned his horse the other direction and rode out with the Harris boy. Teaspoon, Sam, Louise, Kid, Lee, Jimmy, Buck, Cody, and Christopher rode east with Buck in the lead as tracker. It wasn't too hard to follow Ike's markings, but if the kidnappers saw Ike, the markings could stop and Buck was the best tracker.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"Since I have the kids, she'll have to come work for me."

"Do you think this will work, Boss?" asked one of "body guards".

"If she doesn't agree to work in the brothel, then she will never see the kids again."

"How do you know she won't come for them a second time?"

"Because I'll kill them." Wicks said. Since he owned the law in St. Joe, he thought he would get away with murder everywhere else too. Truth was he didn't really own the law in St. Joe, there just was nothing but circumstantial evidence and the Marshall couldn't ever get any of the witnesses to talk.

Ike, just a few feet away from them, heard what Wicks had said. Still he had no idea of who these guys were. Close to dark, then men made camp and Ike rode back about a mile. Just as he suspected, the riders were there making camp. He told them what he heard the men say about killing the children if Louise did not agree to work for him in his brothel.

Louise paled as Buck translated what Ike was saying in sign. She knew she had to get them away from that man, while still keeping her dignity. She wasn't sure how she was going to do that. She started to walk off so that the others wouldn't see her fighting tears. When Kid started to follow, Lee offered, "Kid, let me go, she might talk to me. Besides from the description of the man, it sounds like the guy we caught cheating last night."

Lee followed Louise and when she caught up with her, tried to comfort her. "Don't worry, we'll get the kids back safely."

"I know."

"You know I've been thinking, maybe you can go in and pretend to agree to work for him. Then you can get the kids out, and we'll be able to catch this guy."

"How will they know where to go?"

"Well, I can go with you and they can leave with me."

"Ok. I like it, we'll do it."

"Great!"

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"No, you're not going to do it! Your father would kill me if something happened to any of you!" Kid yelled. "I can't let you do it."

"You're not going to _*let_* me? Kid, I don't recall asking your permission."

"Kid, Louise can take care of herself." Jimmy spoke up. "It's the best idea we have so far."

"Calm down, I'm in charge here." Sam said. "And I think it's a crazy idea. Going in there alone."

"She won't be going in by herself, I'll go in with her and bring the kids back here to safety."

"_**Like hell you will! It's too **_**dangerous**." Jimmy shouted not really thinking. It was just that now the tables were turned somehow.

"Jimmy, Lee can take care of herself." Kid shot back with a smile on his face. Jimmy shot Kid a murderous look.

Meanwhile, Lee was sharing the feelings that Louise had when Kid got upset at her going in. This was a new side of Jimmy that she hadn't seen before, but she knew that it just proved that he cared for her.

"Well, Jimmy, you're right." Sam said.

"Thank you." Jimmy said relieved.

"It's the best idea we have We'll send the girls in."

Jimmy and Kid both looked horrified, but there was nothing short of tying them up that could be done.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"Mr. Wicks, we meet again. Here's the deal, you give me my brother and sister, and you live. You don't give them to me, you die." Louise said confidently. Pretending that she didn't know what he was up to was part of the plan.

"I've got a better deal for you." Wicks started. "You work for me, and the kids live."

Louise fought to keep a straight face. "What exactly would I be doing."

"You'd be working in my brothel."

"As what? A waitress?"

"Nope." Wicks said with a smile.

"Forget it!" Louise said.

"Then your brother and sister die. Chad." Chad brought out the kids, who were tied together (back to back), and pulled a gun on them. Wicks continued with his persuasion. "All it would take is one bullet, Miss McCloud."

"I do what you ask and they go with my friend, Lee, here."

"Deal."

"Fine let them go."

"Chad, tie her up. Can't risk her leaving after the children are gone."

"You can't keep me tied up forever."

"Oh I'm not, but I have to write up a contract first."

"I give you my word I will stay here, please let the kids go."

"Untie the children, Chad."

"Jerimiah and Theresa, go with Lee, you hear. And tell Pa, that I'm not coming home."

"But, Louise"

"Now, Jeremiah! Don't argue with me!"

Lee took the children to safety. Once there, Jerimiah saw Kid and ran up to him, "Kid, he's got Louise and won't let her go! He's going to make her work for him!"

"Jeremiah, we got it under control. You and Theresa are going to stay here with Chris while we go get your big sister, ok?"

"I'm going with you! She came after me, I'm going after her."

"Sam, I told you he wouldn't want to stay." Cody said.

"Chris, if he tries to follow, tie him up." Sam said.

"Yes, Marshall."

"You're kidding right, Marshall Cain! I just got untied and you're goin' to tie me up again!?"

"Not if you stay here, Jeremiah. I promised your Pa that I would bring you back safe, not dead. It's dangerous enough that Louise is with him right now."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Louise knew she was supposed to play the helpless woman right now, but she had a hard time of it. All she wanted to do was clobber this sick man. He kept looking her up and down. And her pleas of not being tied up fell on deaf ears, although he did wait until the children were gone to tie her up. Lee had looked back and saw Chad tie her hands behind a tree. Buck who was watching from up in a tree, saw Wicks untie her hands from the tree and then tie them behind her back. When he knocked her down onto the ground and got on top of her, Buck hoped everyone was in place because he was going to give the signal anyway.

When Louise heard the crow call, she looked up and saw Buck. She hoped that everyone was ready because she really didn't want Wicks to continue with what he going to do. She didn't have to wonder long because almost immediately, she saw Kid, she laid all the way back onto the ground and Kid pulled the trigger. The bullet went through Wicks' head. Wicks lifeless body fell forward onto Louise. While she was disgusted, she rolled over to where she was on top of him. She ran to Kid and he hugged her and untied her hands. She hugged him tight and let the tears fall.

Kid could hear another gun shot behind him. Chad fell to the ground from Jimmy's bullet. The kids said that there were only two of them. So with the kidnappers dead, they headed back to Sweetwater.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Boggs and Mr. Beckett resigned to the fact that their match-making was a failure when Louise announced that she would attend the summer dance with Kid. Even though Mr. Beckett wanted to stay, he knew he had a town to get back to saving from the various illnesses around.

Lee got a surprise when she returned home from a run one day shortly before the dance. Lynnette, her twin, was at the station waiting for her. She looked to be in deep conversation with Buck.

Buck had demonstrated his awareness of what was around him, when he announced "Rider Coming" while having his back to the direction that the rider was coming from. Lynn was facing that direction and saw on the horizon a speck that as it got closer, looked like to be a rider.

"That should be Lee," Buck had told Lynn long before the rider could be seen. But somehow he was right.

After Lee passed the mail off to Cody, she got down off of Black and ran to her sister giving her a big hug. "What are you doing here?"

"The school lets out for the summer so I thought I'd come see you."

"That's great!"

"You know Grandfather came to see me."

Lee's face got a faraway look. "Yeah he came here looking for the both of us."

"He told me when I told him where you were and what you were doing."

"What did he want?"

"To apologize for turning us out. Seems like Grandmother didn't like him turning us away."

"Oh well, I like working for the express. I'm not going to quit so he can make up with his wife. He didn't care about us, so why should I care about him?"

"Because he's our father's father."

"Who turned him away for marrying the woman he loved!"

"There was more to it than that."

"What did the old man tell you?"

"Mama told me that they believed that she was marring Daddy just for the money. Grandfather found out years later, that her parents thought the same thing about Daddy. When they tried to make up with him, he denied them being his parents. Mama did the same thing with her parents."

"They turned them away, I don't blame them."

"Maybe, maybe not. But it seems like a lot of people got hurt over a misunderstanding. He tried to offer to pay for my schooling. He even said that he would pay for your schooling too."

"No. We're not accepting any money from that hypocrite!"

"Well, it doesn't matter because my grades were so good, that the school awarded me a scholarship for the rest of my schooling. You don't have to pay a thing; they said that I earned it. They're even thinking of doing a pilot program for women to become doctors. If they do I'm first choice." Lynn said with a smile.

"That's great, Lynn!" Lee shouted! "I'll still send you some money to live on though. After all you need to eat and all."

Lynn laughed and said, "But you don't have to send so much now. If you're not going to accept Grandfather's offer to send you school, then take the rest of the money and save it for your schooling."

"Hey, have you met everybody, yet?"

"Umm, I've meet everybody you have written me about except Jimmy. I got here yesterday morning. Rachel said that you had just left."

Lee smiled. "OK, Jimmy should be back anytime now."

Just then they heard Kid yell, "Rider Coming"

"I'm up. I should be back tonight though," Buck said.

"OK." Lynn said with a smile.

Lee smiled. She might do some match-making herself. It looked as though Lynn liked Buck and he liked her back by the looks of it. She would see what she could do to get the two together.

The rider coming in was Jimmy. When he saw Lee standing there talking with some lady, he smiled at the thought of getting some private time with her. He didn't know who the lady was, for she had her back turned to him, so he knew he couldn't great her with a kiss like he really wanted too. The others had figured out that their relationship was more romantic than a brother/sister relationship, when Cody walked in on them kissing in the barn the day they got back from rescuing Jeremiah and Theresa from Wicks. So without having to worry about the others he had gotten used to greeting her with a hug or a kiss. His love for her had grown since he was able to show his feelings for her. After he had dismounted, Ike took his horse and he went inside the bunkhouse hoping that Lee would come inside as soon as she got finished talking to that lady.

Jimmy didn't have to wait long, but he was on his bunk with his eyes closed when Lee and Lynn walked inside. "Hard ride, Jimmy?" Lee asked. Jimmy didn't open his eyes, just nodded his head and yawned. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Jimmy opened his eyes to see that the lady that Lee must have been talking to was standing inside the bunkhouse. And she looked just like Lee. He stood up to shake he hand.

"Jimmy, this is Lynnette, my twin, Lynn, this is Jimmy."

"Pleased to meet ya," they said simultaneously.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The riders were the only ones in the bunkhouse. Everybody else had turned in for the night. They sat around the table doing various different things. Buck, Ike, and Jimmy were playing poker, Lee was trying to go to sleep, and Cody was trying to tease Kid about Louise, "So, Kid, you going to the dance with Louise, or is her father going to prevent you from taking her?"

"Cody, Louise is going to do what she wants, weather or not her father approves." Lee said.

"Yes, Cody, I'm taking Louise to the dance. Who are you going with?" Kid turned the tables.

"I'm not going to tie myself down to one girl."

"In other words, you couldn't find a date," Lee explained.

"How about you, Ike?" Cody asked, for once, trying to get the attention off of himself.

"I'm not taking anybody." Ike signed.

"See, I'm not the only one who wants to dance with every girl there." Cody explained.

"So, Buck, how about you? Who are you going with?" Lee asked. Buck looked uncomfortable, so Lee continued. "I was just wondering because I happen to know that Lynn needs an escort and she would be happy to go you" Before anybody could respond, she continued, "Now, if ya'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep. I got a ride first thing in the morning. Night." And with that, she closed her eyes hoping and praying that things worked out between Buck and Lynn. She thought that they would make a great match.

"So, Jimmy, are you taking Lee?" Cody said. Jimmy just shook his no. Jimmy and Lee had already talked about it. She didn't want the town's people to get suspicious and tell the company that she was a girl.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The next morning, Jimmy came to see Lee off. Everyone else was asleep in the bunkhouse. "Mornin'." Lee said when she saw him.

"Mornin'." Jimmy returned as he gave her a hug. But there was something else that was on his mind. "Were you trying to do a little match making in there last night?"

"Well, Um, not really. Lynn just mentioned that she liked Buck and I could tell that Buck liked her, so I just let Buck know that Lynn liked him"

"Uh huh." Jimmy mumbled with a smile. "And that's not match making?"

"OK. I was match making a little." Lee admitted.

"Well, good luck with it. You know how Buck won't let anyone get close since Kathleen."

"I know, but maybe, Buck will see that Lynn is different."

"I hope so, for you and your sister's sakes." Jimmy said as he bent down to kiss her.

"I better get gon'. It's not a long ride, I'll be back for lunch."

"OK. Ride Safe."

With that Lee mounted and rode off. Jimmy stayed there until he could no longer see her on the horizon. Then turned back to go inside the bunkhouse, but was interrupted.

"You really care for her, don't you?" Lynn asked as she stepped down from the porch. Jimmy just nodded, so Lynn continued. "Have you told her that you love her?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's written all over your face. Have you told her?"

"I don't see where that's any of your business."

"It may not be. But she is my sister, and I just don't want to see her hurt. I can tell in her letters how much she loves you, but Lee's the type who has to know what you feel before she will let you know how she feels. You hold her heart in your hands weather or not you know it, Mr. Hickok. So my question to you is, 'Are you just leading the both of you on, or are you going to be true to your own heart?'" she turned, went inside and left Jimmy to ponder what she said.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When the day of the dance finally came, the boys were disappointed that Lee did not wear a dress. "Come on, Lee, nobody's going to tell the company nothin'. Go head and wear a dress." Cody pleaded.

"Cody, if you want to see what I look like in a dress, then look at Lynn, we look the same, only she has longer hair. I'm not going to chance my job, just to have a little fun." Lee stated and then left to go help her sister get ready for the dance and so the boys could get ready themselves.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"Louise, Kid could come here to pick you up." Boggs said.

"Pa, I'm going to lend Lynnette one of my dresses. I want to be there to see the expressions on the boys faces when they see her in this." She said as she held up the deep purple party dress that she wore to the last dance. "I'll get ready over at Emma's."

"All right." Boggs resigned to the fact that Louise was going to go to the station to get ready and leave from there.

"I'll see you and Cindy at the dance."

"I'm not taking her, just meeting her there."

"Why?"

"Because she doesn't think her father would allow it."

"You have got to talk to that man. He believes that money is the most important thing in a marriage and love has nothing to do with it. I think that if you talk to him, he would agree to a marriage between the two of you." Boggs looked at his daughter shocked. "Don't be so surprised, Pa. Cindy and I talk. I know how the two of you feel toward each other, and I think it's great. And as long as her father doesn't know how she feels about you, which he doesn't, then he should agree to the marriage. Cindy told me that her father was looking for a rich man to marry her. He thinks that he will get part of money."

"I know she's told me the same thing."

"But I've been there when he has called her into his study to meet someone. Pa, these men are twice your age. They decline because of how young she is. At least you know how old she is and you're in love with her."

"Louise, didn't you say you had to go deliver one of your dresses to the station?"

Louise smiled, "Bye, Pa. I'll see ya there." and she left.

The conversation with Louise had got him to thinking. He still loved Mary, but at the same time he had really fallen for this girl. She was Louise's age. But none the less he had fallen in love with her. Mary was no longer with them. She was in Heaven. Would it be right to marry someone his daughter's age? Louise didn't seem to mind. She thought it was great. Had she known how lonely he had been since her mother had died? When he and Cindy started to see each other, the loneliness had gone a way some. Then when he said good night to Cindy, the loneliness returned. Instead of longing for Mary, he was longing for Cindy. Was this wrong? He wasn't married anymore. His wife had died 7 years ago. Something inside said that this was right. Maybe he should take his daughter's advice.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"OK, Barnette, here's what I want I want you to do. When Jo gets here with my package, come and get me, if Emma's nearby, say that there's someone that needs to see me. OK?" Sam made sure that his plan was going to go right.

"OK. Got it. When Jo gets here with your package, come get you and say that there is someone that needs to see you."

"Right. Now I'm going to pick up Emma and I'll see you then OK?"

"OK."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

At the dance, every man wanted to dance with Lynn, but it was her escort, Buck, who got the most dances with her. It made Lee see just how pretty she really was. Lee just stood back and watched the scene unfold before her. Her twin sister was having the time of her life. Lee wished that she could dance the night away, like her sister. She also knew that it could jeopardize her job if she did.

About an hour later, Barnette, walked out onto the dance floor, and told Sam what he wanted to hear. Sam made his apologies and left.

When Sam reached his office, Jo was there with the small package. Sam paid him the money and went back to the dance. When he saw Emma, she was dancing with Teaspoon. After the song ended, Emma, saw that Sam was back. "Everything OK, Sam?"

"Yeah Emma, everything's fine." at Emma's sigh of relief, Sam changed his mind. "No, actually, not everything is OK." Emma looked puzzled, so he continued. "And it won't be OK, until you become my wife." He blurted, but before she could respond, he went down on knee and asked, "Miss Shannon, would you marry me?" and as tears came to Emma's eyes, Sam held his breath.

"Yes." She said through her tears of joy. Everyone clapped, and Lee snuck out. Jimmy saw that Lee snuck out and followed her. As Jimmy stepped outside of the door, the musicians were playing a love song for the newly engaged couple. You could hear the music outside.

When Jimmy found Lee, she was in the alley between the building where they were holding the dance and the general store. She had her back turned to the entrance, so no one could see her face. Jimmy put a hand on her shoulder and knew something was wrong. When he turned her to face him, he saw the tears. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin', I just needed to get out."

Jimmy knew that she didn't want to talk about it, so he just dropped the subject and held her until he could tell that she had stopped crying. When he thought she was ready, he asked her, "Before we go back inside, may I have this dance?"

Lee looked stunned, but agreed. After an initial awkwardness, they fell into a comfortable hold that lasted for three songs ... until Cody had noticed that Lee was gone and decided to go look for his bunkmate. "Oh there you are. Jimmy, I didn't know you were missing too, well, I 'll just leave you too alone." He left but the mood was spoiled so they went back inside. Lee wondered just how Jimmy knew that she was feeling left out of the dance, but she was glad that he did figure it out.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The summer past quickly with planning Sam and Emma's wedding. The twins catching up and getting close again. Also, Lynn and Buck were getting closer and closer each day. For a special treat, Emma, found two wigs. One that looked like Lynn's hair and one that looked like Lee's hair. Lynn would wear the wig that looked like Lee's hair and vice versa. She wanted Lee to attend to her wedding as a girl. She also wanted Lee to stand beside her at her wedding. But in order to do that, the girls had to some how switch places. The only way to do that was to get wigs made. When Lee put her Wig on, and Lynn put her wig on, not even Jimmy and Buck could tell the two apart.

The wedding was set for August 17. On August 18, Lynn had to go back to school, so the week before, Lynn was packing to go back to school, while Emma was packing to move and leave Sweetwater. In July, Sam was offered the Territorial Marshall position and after much discussion, Emma and Sam thought it was best for them for him to take the job. They were going to have to move to St. Joseph. Emma had promised her friends and family that she and Sam would visit often.

The day of wedding was beautiful and it was a lovely wedding with Lee and Louise both standing beside Emma at the alter, while Sam had Teaspoon and Barnette standing beside him. The reception was held out at the way station and everyone had a wonderful time.

Lee was the one this time to dance the party away. She enjoyed every minute of it, and Lynn enjoyed seeing her sister enjoy herself freely. Lee had one dance with all her bunkmates and Teaspoon and then danced the rest of the time with Jimmy.

While Jimmy was dancing with Lee, Kid was dancing with Louise and Boggs, well he was sharing Cindy with the rest of the riders. The riders knew that something was going on between him and Cindy and he knew they could keep the other suitors away from her and keep her father's suspicion down at the same time. He had decided that he was going to ask her father for her hand, but he hadn't quite decided how or when he would ask him. He was a strange man when it came to ideas on marriage and his daughter, so he knew he had to be careful or he wouldn't get a positive response from the man.

Buck did get Lynn to sneak away and they shared a couple of dances as well, but they had to get back before they were missed. When they got back, Emma and Sam were about to leave and they arrived just in time to see Cindy catch the Bride's bouquet.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After Emma had moved away, Louise became the temporary cook and housekeeper. She moved into Emma's house until Teaspoon could find a replacement for Emma. Teaspoon would hire a woman on a trial basis while Louise trained her. They never lasted more than a week. One was too lazy, another wanted the riders to do all the work, one was too old for the job (physically unable to the work), and one, not even Cody would eat her meals. One, who had recognized that Lee was a girl, was rude to everybody and made vulgar comments about Lee to Louise, calling Lee a tramp and saying that she was whoring herself out at night to the boys for extra money. She lasted 2 seconds after that comment. Teaspoon overheard her say it and immediately fired her for it. They also insisted that Lee was not female, and really confused the woman. The next person to answer the ad, seemed to be the perfect person for the job, Lee was the only one that didn't like her. Louise had talked with Lee as to the reason why she didn't like the woman, and Lee couldn't say why she didn't like her, so Louise recommended that Rachel be hired permanently. It was later discovered that Lee was just uncomfortable with the way the boys acted around Rachel and that she was just jealous over Rachel's beauty. It took a talk between Rachel and Lee for Lee to realize that she was just jealous. However, she decided not to let that stand in the way of a friendship that eventually turned into more of an older/younger sister relationship.

While the way station was having trouble finding a replacement for Emma, Boggs was having trouble of his own. He decided that he was he was tired of having to hide his feelings for Cindy. He went to see her father to talk to him.

"Hello, Dr. McCloud, what can I do for you today?" Mr. Nelson greeted Boggs, as they walked into the study of the Nelson's house.

"Well, Mr. Nelson, I wanted to talk to you about your daughter." Mr. Nelson remained quiet. "You see, I've noticed that when Miss Nelson comes over to visit my eldest daughter, Louise, that she just has a way with kids ... and Louise will be getting married soon, maybe, and I'll be left alone to raise Theresa and Jeremiah by myself. Well, Sir, I just don't think that I could do that, and I know it wouldn't be proper to have Miss Nelson come live us to take care of the children unless we were married, so I was wondering if I could have her hand in marriage." Boggs found himself babbling on and stumbling over what he wanted to say and what he had wanted to say did not come out at all. But for some reason he couldn't remember what it was that he had wanted to tell Mr. Nelson.

"If you cannot keep a reign on your own daughter, how do I know that you can keep Cindy in line?"

"Sir?" Boggs sat there stunned and shocked, this is not what he had expected at all.

"Your, daughter, Louise, was expelled from finishing school for fighting and she out there whoring herself to the pony express station riders. How do I know you won't let my daughter do that?"

"Sir, with all due respect, your information is wrong. Yes, Louise was expelled for fighting. The person she knocked out was bragging about how many slaves they had and how badly they treated them. My daughter was standing up for stranger's rights to be treated human. She was standing up for what she believed in. And as for as whoring herself to the riders, I don't know where you got your information, but that's a flat out lie. She has moved out there to help the station run smoothly until they can find a replacement for Emma. She's cooking and cleaning up after those boys, Sir, nothing more, nothing less."

"You can't stop her from seeing a man that you despise!"

"I do not despise Kid. I just don't like his job. And I see that they really love each other. I will not come in between them."

"Maybe that's your problem, Dr. McCloud. You're too soft. No, I will not allow you to marry my daughter if you cannot control your own daughter. Is that all?"

"Yes, Sir, that was it." Boggs said through clenched teeth. He got up and left - with his temper in check. Later he decided not to tell anyone of his conversation with Mr. Nelson. If he told Cindy, it would destroy the light in her eyes and if he told Louise, she'd go over there and knock him out for insulting her and him that way. Yes, it was best if nobody found out about that conversation. As he was thinking about all this, he almost ran into Louise.

"Hi Pa." She said as she gave him a hug. "This is Mrs. Rachel Dunne. Rachel, this is my father, Dr. McCloud."

"Hi, Mrs. Dunne, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you Dr. McCloud."

Boggs smiled at the formal title, only those that were really formal called him that. "Feel free to call me Boggs. Just about everybody around here does."

Rachel just smiled as Louise continued. "I'm showing Rachel around town. She's going to be the new cook out at the way station. I should be home tomorrow if not tonight after supper."

"OK."

Louise could tell that something was wrong, by the way her father was acting, "Listen, why don't you, Cindy and kids come on out for supper?"

"OK. The kids and I will be there, but I'm not so sure that Cindy's father will let her go anywhere right now."

_Oh so that's it! Cindy's father found out. I'd better go see Cindy before we head back to the station._ "All right, we'll see you at supper then."

Louise and Rachel went into the general store to get supplies and Rachel met Mr. Tompkins. While Tompkins had someone load up the wagon, Mrs. Nelson came down the road and grabbed Louise's arm. Louise turned to find that Mrs. Nelson had been crying. "Louise, you've got to get Cindy out of there, he'll kill her."

"Mrs. Nelson, tell me what's going on."

"Your father came to see Mr. Nelson this afternoon. He asked for Cindy's hand, but my husband denied him. Cindy over heard and tried to talk him about it and he just slapped her. He's never done that before, Louise. Not to her, just to me. You have to get her out of there, before it gets worse. You get her out of there, and I'll bring some clothes to her."

"I'll be right back, Rachel." Both Mrs. Nelson and Louise ran down the road.

From outside they could hear Mr. Nelson yelling, "**You will not talk back to me. You will do as I say!**" He was so caught up in the beating of his daughter that he didn't even hear the door open.

"Leave her alone." Louise said in a calm stern manner.

**"Get out of my house you whore! This is all your fault! You're a bad influence on my daughter. I thought that she could change you, but you changed her!"**

"Cindy can you get up?" Louise looked at her best friend laying on the floor.

"I think so."

"Then you're coming with me. Get up and let's go, before I lose my temper." Louise said calmly.

Cindy saw a way out, and she knew that Louise had a gun on her, even if no one could see it. So she felt safe going with Louise. She slowly got up and stumbled to Louise. Louise placed herself between the abusive man and the friend that she had come to think of as a sister.

"Cindy, you leave and you're dead to me."

"She stays and she's dead for real. You'll kill her."

"Cindy I mean it, I'll disinherit you, if you leave."

Cindy just turned and stumbled out of the door with her father yelling after her, "**I mean it! You're dead to me! I no longer have a daughter! You will never see me or your mother again."**

Louise backed out of the house keeping an eye on Mr. Nelson until they were out on the street. Louise looked at her beaten friend and said, "Don't worry your mother will find a way to see you. She's the one that came to get me to help you out." Louise looked at the injuries and said, "I think I better take care of your injuries. Let's go to the clinic."

"I don't want your father to see me like this."

"Cindy, don't worry about my father seeing you like this, OK? Worry more about the cut on your head, it looks like it needs stitches. And I wouldn't be surprised if he cracked or broke a couple of ribs. I need to check you out and care for the wounds, all my stuff is at the way station and the clinic is closer, I'll use my father's stuff to clean you up. Don't worry, I'll lock the door and he won't see you until after you're all cleaned up." Louise saw Rachel and said, "This is going to take longer than I expected."

"It's all right, take care of her"

"Thanks I'll be in my father's clinic. You can come and wait or you can go on back to the station."

"I can wait, it looks like she needs some friends around."

Louise smiled. "Thanks, Rachel."

The three ladies walked to the dr.'s clinic and went in the back door. The kids were still at school, and Louise had seen her father go into the house. As she worked on getting Cindy cleaned up, she had Cindy tell her what had happened.

"Well, your father came by and asked my father if he could marry me. My father told him no. And after your father left, I tried to talk to him. I tried to tell him that I loved Boggs, and then he slapped me. That's when I told him that I would marry him with or without his permission. And then he knocked me down and started beating me like he does Mama."

Boggs had come into the clinic to get something, when he heard Cindy talking. He heard everything. He knew how bad Mr. Nelson's beatings could get. He had patched up Mrs. Nelson on a number of occasions. She had assured him that Mr. Nelson never touched Cindy though.

"You know, he's never hit me before, I didn't think he would."

"He did and it's worse than when he beats your Ma." Louise said. She had always helped her father tend to Mrs. Nelson, begging her to get out and take Cindy with her. But Mrs. Nelson always refused to leave. She said she would go to Hell if she left her husband. No matter what Boggs and Louise told her, she refused to chance her Salvation.

When Boggs had heard that Cindy had suffered a beating worse than what Mrs. Nelson suffers, he walked in. Cindy was facing away from him. Louise was setting her broken wrist and Cindy had cried out and no one heard the door open, but when Louise looked up, she saw her father. She said nothing. "There your wrist is set. How did that happen?"

"I tried to block one of his blows like you taught me, and he caught my arm and twisted my wrist."

"Well it's broken. It'll be a while before it heals, let me go get something to wrap it up. I'll be right back." Louise slid past her father and Boggs went around the table that Cindy was sitting on.

When he saw the dried up blood, the stitches on her head and the bruises already forming around her eyes, his heart broke. He felt responsible for this. "I'm sorry, Cindy. I shouldn't have gone over there this afternoon."

"No, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have said what I did when you left."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." she replied as she shook her head and trying to hold back her tears. She really didn't want Boggs to see her like she was, but it was too late. "He disowned me." Boggs just gave her a hug. "I'm not upset that I won't be getting anything from him when he dies, it's just that I thought he loved me."

"I know." Boggs didn't know what else to say. He just rubbed her back. When Louise came back with the stuff to wrap Cindy's wrist, Boggs informed her, "She has two cracked ribs. I'll go get something for you to wrap them with."

"OK."

When Boggs got back with wrap for the ribs, he left Louise to wrap her up. While Louise was tending to the rest of Cindy's injuries, he went back to the Nelson house. When Mr. Nelson answered the door, he said in a very calm, but threatening voice, "You touch her again, and I'll kill you." He turned and left a very shocked Mr. Nelson standing in the door way.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Boggs went to the hotel and rented a room for Cindy and told the hotel manager to bill him for however long the room stayed in use. The hotel manager gave Boggs the key and He went back to the clinic. By the time he got back to the clinic, Cindy was cleaned up, and bandaged. He gave her the hotel key.

"I can't let you do that."

"Nonsense, I'm going to. You need a place to stay and if you stay here, people will assume the worst. I can't let that happen."

"Go on, go get set up. Be ready to go out to supper by 6. We've been invited to supper out at the way station."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Mr. Nelson went to Teaspoon, who had become the Marshall after Sam left and Sam's replacement was killed. "Marshall Hunter, I want to report a kidnapping."

"Who's been kidnapped, Mr. Nelson?"

"My daughter."

"Sir, everyone in town heard you shouting that you disowned the girl. I also saw what you did to her, if I were her I would have left too. I have already talked to her and she doesn't wish to press charges against you. She left on her own free will. She was not kidnapped. She's an adult and can leave your home if she wishes. And frankly, Mr. Nelson, if it were up to me, you'd be locked behind bars for a very long time. But I can't do that unless she presses charges and she refuses to do that. So if I were you I'd get out here before I forget I'm wearing a badge and accidentally pull the trigger on my gun sending a bullet it into your heart of ice and send you to Hell myself"

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

At the way station, Louise had already explained to the riders what had happened and warned them not to say anything. She assured them that Cindy would not be going back to her father and that she had a safe place to stay. It took a lot of convincing to keep them from paying Mr. Nelson a little visit, but in the end she won out. Cindy still had hopes of her father changing and nobody was going to do anything to stop that from happening. In other words no one was allowed to kill Mr. Nelson. They all groaned at this but agreed not to even mention Mr. Nelson or the incident tonight at dinner. Instead they would ignore her injuries in an effort to boost Cindy's self-esteem.

Dinner was noisy as usual, with Cody leading the banter. They kept the topic off of Cindy and on their exploits as Pony Express Riders, carefully editing any abusive stories out of the conversation. They were also getting to know their new rider, Noah Dixon. Everyone was impressed with Rachel's cooking.

Louise left the way station that night after supper. However, she stayed with Cindy to make sure everything was OK. Theresa came over with clothes for Cindy that Mrs. Nelson had smuggled to the Doctor's house. Mrs. Nelson had suffered a beating after Cindy left as well. Dr. McCloud had patched her up and started to tell her where Cindy was when she stopped him, "Don't tell me, if you tell me, he might beat it out of me. If you don't tell me, he'll still beat me, but I can't let it slip if I don't know where she is. Just tell me when the wedding is and I'll be there if at all possible."

"OK. I'll let you know as soon as I can."

"Thank you. You're a good man and you have done a fine job raising your children. I know you'll treat my daughter good. I can no longer protect her, I learned that this afternoon. It's up to you to protect her now."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Cindy set the wedding date in April. She wanted to give her body time to heal and she also wanted to give her father time to change his mind and hopefully come to her wedding. Despite everything, she still loved him and wanted him to return that love. What she didn't understand, was that he had never loved her. He had wanted a son anyway, then when Cindy was born, he beat his wife so bad for not giving him a son that she could no longer have any children. So he was stuck with Cindy to get more money, but in order to do it properly, she would have marry rich and he would have her husband bequeath everything to him and not to her. He knew that Boggs would never do that.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

As Christmas drew nearer, Kid decided that it was time that he made a comment to Louise. However, he was not so confident when it came to asking Boggs. Boggs sat in his chair, watching a very nervous Kid sitting across from him. He was afraid of what could have Kid so nervous. He knew what the boy wanted, but he was not ready to give up his "baby girl" to someone who could not support himself, let alone a wife too. However, he was determined to hear Kid out. "Kid, what is it?" Boggs asked trying to push the boy to ask the question that had brought him here.

"I was wondering ..." Kid cleared his throat. "I wanted to ask you if I could marry Louise, if she would have me."

There it was the question that Boggs had been dreading since the day that Louise was born. Without thinking, and seeing a memory of Louise playing in the creek at age 5, he said, "No." _I see that they really love each other. I will not come in between them. _He heard the words he had told Cindy's father echo in his mind. _God, What am I doing?_ _I refuse to do this to my daughter. This is the man that she loves._

Kid had expected Dr. McCloud to say no, and momentarily forgot his argument as the speculation became reality.

"Let me explain to you the reason." Boggs went on to say. "It's not because I don't like you. Because I do like you. It's just that I don't think that you can support yourself, and a wife on what Russell, Majors and Wydell is paying you. Now I know that Louise loves you and you love her. And you have been very good for her. She's starting to act more like a lady at times rather than the tom boy she became when her mother passed away." Boggs, sighed and then continued. "I'll make you a deal, Kid. You become my apprentice and I'll teach you everything I know about medicine and you can marry my daughter."

"Sir, with all due respect and as tempting as that offer is, I'm no doctor. There is no way I'd be able to become a good doctor, even with you as my teacher. My heart wouldn't be in it and to be a good doctor, your heart has to be in it. Now, I've got some money saved up, enough to get us a house built and we'll still have some left over to keep saving so that one day I could buy enough land to start a ranch." Kid let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding and continued. "Sir, I may not be able to get everything that we want, but I have enough saved up so that we will be able to get everything that we need."

"What's the difference?"

"A need is something that you can't live without, like food, and shelter and love. A want is something that you can live without, like a saddle when your old saddle works just fine."

Boggs smiled at the analogy. This boy, he could tell, was nervous and couldn't really think straight, but he did know the difference between wants and needs. Here was his chance to make sure that his daughter got everything she really needed in life and to feel good about it. "Kid, if you promise me that if you ever _need _anything and find that for one reason or another, you can't afford it, then you come ask me for it, if you promise me that, then I'll give my blessing."

"If I can't find any other way of getting our needs, then I will." Kid promised, however he hoped it would never come to that.

Boggs walked over to a safe and opened it up, he took out a small jewelry box, "Fine. Then, I give you my blessing, but you're going to have to ask her, although I don't doubt for one second that she'll say yes." He opened the box up and looked at it. He remembered the look on Mary's face when he had bought it for her. It was the first want that he was able to give his wife. When she had passed away, Louise went looking for the diamond ring that her mother had always worn for as long as she could remember. Her father had told he had put it up in a special place. As much as it pained him, he handed it across the desk to Kid. "Give this to her, and she'll know that I have given my blessing." It did not pain him because it was Kid he was giving it to, but because it was something of Mary's and it meant that his "baby girl" was growing up. "She hasn't seen that since her mother died. I took off her mother's hand to save for this occasion. When Louise asked me about the ring, I told her that the man that I wanted her to marry would give her that ring when it was time."

"Thank you, Sir."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lynnette was able to come to the station for a visit for Christmas and Sam and Emma showed up for a visit too. However, Kid did not want his proposal to be as public as Sam's had been. So after everyone had opened their gifts on Christmas day, Kid asked Louise to go on a picnic with him. He took her to the frozen pond, Noah and Jimmy had already set up candles, the blanket, and the food that Rachel had prepared for them. They had already left and the scene looked beautiful and romantic.

"Kid, this is beautiful!"

Kid just smiled and hoped that Louise couldn't tell that he was nervous. He didn't know why this was more nerve racking than asking her father if he could marry her, but it was. He had her mother's ring in his pocket, but he had momentarily forgot about it. After they finished their lunch, they strolled around the pond.

"Kid, just say what's on your mind."

"What do you mean?"

"You've had something on your mind ever since we left the way station, go on say it." Louise was afraid of what she might hear. She was sure that he had been transferred to another station or something awful.

_Well here goes nothing._ When Kid bent down to one knee, Louise stood stunned. "Louise, will you marry me?"

Louise stood there with tears in her eyes, she thought that she would have more time to make her father come around, but she knew that he still didn't want her to marry Kid. She had to give him just a little more time to make him see how responsible Kid was and that if she had to, she's work as a nurse to help with finances. But she hadn't been able to tell her father that. She knew that her father wanted the best for her. As much as she wanted to say yes, she heard herself say "No" and she let the tears fall. She could see the hurt on Kid's face and it mimicked the hurt she felt inside. "I can't." That's all she said.

Kid remembered the ring her father had given him and reached inside his pocket and handed it to her. "Then you better give this back to your father."

When she opened it up she saw her mother's ring. "My father gave this to you?" Kid nodded, because he couldn't trust his voice. "When did he give it to you?"

"Two weeks ago when I asked him for your hand."

_God, I've been such a fool, why didn't I just follow my heart, instead of my head?_ When she looked up, Kid had turned his back to her and was leaning up against the wagon. "Kid," Louise began. _Is it too late? Can I undo what I just did? _"Can I ... Can I change my mind?" She finally blurted out and held a breath.

Kid looked back at her and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Kid, the only reason I said no was because I wanted to give my father a little more time to accept you for you. I want him to be at my wedding and I want him to accept my husband. If he gave you this, then that means, he has accepted you."

Kid didn't say a thing, just hugged her and bent down and kissed her. When they broke apart, Louise said, "I'd like to get married on my mother's birthday, June 23."

Kid just nodded and was thankful that she had changed her mind. If he had known that the ring would make a difference he would have given it to her before he asked her.

Sam and Emma made plans to come back in April for Boggs' Wedding and again in June for Kid and Louise's Wedding.

Saying goodbye was getting hard for Lynnette, but she had been accepted for the pilot program for women to learn to become doctors and had to go back to school. She promised Buck and Lee that she would try to make it back as soon as possible.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Lee was trying to get some sleep, she didn't feel good, and the boys were just making it worse with all the carrying on about the Valentine's Dance. Teaspoon came in and announced, "I need two riders right now to go to Willow Springs to pick up some bank drafts."

"Why do you need two riders Teaspoon? Just one of us could handle this," Cody said.

"I need two guns on this one."

The boys all started arguing about who would go and Lee had enough of it and shouted, "Fine, I'll go!"

"Lee, you look sick. Are you up to it?"

"Teaspoon, It's just a head ache and I'm sure that as soon as I get away from these shouting boys, I'll be fine." Lee assured him. She needed to get away. If she didn't get away she'd kill whoever made her head hurt worse.

Teaspoon saw the determination in her eyes, and agreed against his better judgment. The others were still arguing when Jimmy walked into the bunkhouse. Teaspoon told him what was going on and Jimmy said that he'd go. Lee felt a little better having Jimmy go with her. It wasn't that she didn't trust the other boys, because she did, it's just that if Lee didn't want to talk, then Jimmy wouldn't talk, and that silence would help her headache to get better. Hopefully by the time they made camp that night, her headache would be gone. If she still had a headache by the time she got back, she would go check up on Lynn.

As they made camp, Jimmy was getting worried about Lee. It wasn't the silence that worried him; it was the worried look on Lee's face that worried him. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Jimmy finally asked.

"Nothin's wrong. I just got a headache."

"So why do you look so worried?"

"I don't know. I guess I was just remembering the last time I had a headache like this."

Jimmy waited for Lee to continue. When she didn't, he prompted her, "So what happened?"

"I don't know, I must've been 6 or 7. Lynn was real sick. The doctors didn't think she was going to make it. The higher her fever went, the worse my headache got. Ma would spend some time with Lynn while Pa would hold me to keep me from crying because it hurt so bad. The doctors didn't know why I had a headache and couldn't stop it. After a while Ma would come in and hold me while Pa went in to tend to Lynn. My headache went away when Lynn got better. A month later I came down with whatever it was that Lynn had and Lynn had the headache."

"You think Lynn's sick?"

"Um, I don't know. I hope not. If my headache's not gone by the time we get back with the bonds, then I'm going to Denver to see her."

"OK."

After they made camp, Jimmy was getting more worried about Lee. She didn't eat anything, just went to sleep. He was worried about Lynn too. He knew that Lee would not worry about her sister unless she had a good reason to worry.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Meanwhile in Denver

One of Lynn's friends, Christine, came to see why she wasn't at school that day. When Lynn didn't answer the door, Christine got the boarding house owner to open the door with the extra key. They both knew it was unlike Lynn to miss school and wanted to make sure she was OK.

They found Lynn on the bed, drenched in her sweat and unconscious. When the boarding house owner felt Lynn's forehead, she said, "She's burning up. Go get the doctor and hurry!"

When Christine had gotten back with the doctor, Lynn had been changed into some dry nightclothes and the sheets on her bed were clean as well. Lynn woke up when the doctor came in and she recognized him. She knew from her studies that she needed help. "Miss Ethridge, can you tell me what's wrong? Does anything hurt?"

"My lower side hurts." Lynn said through clenched teeth and between ragged breaths.

"I'm going to feel your stomach OK?" The doctor explained. Lynn just nodded. She didn't care, she just wanted the pain to stop. "Have you been nauseous?" Lynn nodded. "OK, Miss Ethridge, I'm going to have to move you to my clinic. I need to operate. But after the operation, you'll be fine." He turned to the worried friends in the room and explained, "She's having an appendicitis. I need to remove her appendix."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Kid was returning from a ride when he saw a lady in distress. Of course, he had to rescue her. After he stopped the runaway horses, he found out that the woman on the wagon was the new schoolteacher, Samantha. He also found out that she didn't know the where the location of the house she was supposed to live in was, so he decided to do the gentlemanly thing and take her to the house. What he didn't realize was that Samantha was falling hard for him.

When they got into Sweetwater, Louise was coming out of the general store from buying supplies for her father. Kid stopped the wagon and introduced Louise as his fiancée. Kid didn't see the look of detest that came across Samantha's face, but Louise did. She just took note and would try to be her friend anyway, but she would be careful of what she said around her. Samantha's mannerisms reminded her of some of the girls in the finishing school that would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

While Kid was stopped, Cody hopped on the wagon, Kid thought it was just to get out of loading the station's wagon with supplies. But then Cody said that Kid would need help unloading Samantha's things, so Kid wasn't sure why Cody wanted to ride along, until he saw the look of lust on Cody's face.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lee woke up about ten minutes after she fell asleep. Jimmy hadn't fallen asleep yet, but the blood curling scream that came from Lee would have woken him up in a heartbeat. Good thing he wasn't asleep or he would have drawn his gun.

"What's wrong?"

"My side, it feels like someone just stabbed me." Lee said through ragged breaths. There was no wound or anything to suggest the reason for pain. They were both puzzled, but after an hour, the pain went away and she was able to go back to sleep. This time, Jimmy was just a foot away from her instead of on the other side of camp.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The surgery took just a few minutes, but Lynn did not wake up for an hour or so after. Her temperature went back to normal and she was fine, even though the doctor recommend bed rest for a week.

"What about school?"

"They'll understand. I'll talk to the dean about getting your studies delivered to you at the boarding house. But you are not to get out of bed for week. You have to heal."

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When they got back to the station, Kid teased Cody about Samantha. Cody just brushed him off and replied, "What are you so upset about, Kid? You got Louise."

Kid smiled and laughed, "I'm not upset, I'm glad that I finally get to tease you like you've teased me!" Then he turned serious, "No, really I'm happy for you and I hope that it works out between you two."

"I'm going to ask her to the dance for tomorrow night."

"Great. Maybe she won't feel out of place going with the town flirt." Noah chimed in.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When Lee woke up the next morning, her headache was gone and so was the pain in her side. They decided to go on to Willow Springs and as soon as she got back she would pay Lynn a visit. She told Jimmy of a dream that she had while she was asleep. She dreamt that Lynn had some sort of surgery performed on her and she was worried about her. So Jimmy decided that he would go with her to Denver.

When they got to Willow Springs, the bank bonds were not there and they ended up having to stay the night. What made matters worse was that there was just one room left. Even after an argument with the hotel clerk, there was still just one room left.

"We'll take it." Lee said in a deep voice.

Jimmy signed the hotel registrar and mumbled on the way up the stairs, "Don't worry you can have the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

They found a sign on their hotel door about a Valentine's Dance that night and decided to go. Jimmy thought, _Maybe it would help ease Lee's worries a little bit, well at least take her mind off of her sister for a while_.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Samantha's reason for going to the dance with Cody had nothing to do with Cody. She wanted to get Kid jealous. What she did not realize is that Kid was totally unavailable and uninterested in her. He was in love with Louise and to him there was no other woman on earth.

Cody was totally unaware that Samantha was using him. He thought she really liked him. So Cody took Samantha to the dance and Kid took Louise, while the others went alone. Buck was brooding that Lynn wasn't there and he was worried about her. He had the same dream that Lee had, only he didn't tell anybody, passing it off as just missing her.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lee had bought a royal blue dress to go to the dance and Jimmy had bought a suit to go with her. They went to the dance together, and even though a lot of gentlemen asked to cut in, they politely refused them saying that she was shy and didn't want to dance with anyone that she didn't know.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

At the dance back in Sweetwater, one of Samantha's old boyfriends tried to reclaim her and Cody stepped in. A duel was called and well, Teaspoon barely stopped the duel in time with Martha, Samantha's mother telling Robert that Samantha was his daughter and he couldn't love her in a romantic way.

When Robert realized this was true, he raised his gun to kill Cody anyway, but Teaspoon stopped him from pulling the trigger by firing his own gun and shooting the gun out of Robert's hand. Teaspoon told Robert to get out of town and to never return or he would lock him up for attempted murder.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

He dared hardly breathe at the delicacy of the moment. Standing outside on the verandah and just watching the beauty before him. The dance was over, and their night was about to end. However, he wished it would never end. He looked at the love of his life in the moonlight. She was so beautiful in that royal blue dress. The color just brought out her blue eyes. Her short red hair was swept up off of her neck and a nice lace bow held it all in place. She was the bell of the ball in his eyes. A number of suitors had asked to dance with her at the dance, but she declined them all to stay with him. _What did I do to deserve her?_ he wondered. As he unlocked the hotel room door, she spun around into the room and smiled at him. He walked inside the hotel room and as he lit some candles, he remarked, "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"You're not too shabby yourself." she breathed. She reached up and kissed him deeply.

"LeAnn," he said as he broke the kiss. As he looked into her eyes, nothing else existed but them. "I love you."

"I love you too, Jimmy." LeAnn said right before Jimmy kissed her again. Lee walked backwards as Jimmy walked forward. Lee did what she felt like she should do, as she fell onto the soft bed. As Jimmy deepened the kiss, Lee started to undo his shirt.

Jimmy stopped and looked at her intensely, "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lynn dreamed what her sister was doing, but just passed off as a medicine-induced dream. She couldn't see everything, but she could see clothes on the floor, Lee and Jimmy in a bed together. She had an idea what the dream was implying. She wasn't sure if she hoped that the dream was true or not. On one hand she hoped it was true, but on the other hand, she hoped that her sister would wait until she was married to do what the dream said she was doing.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

As they laid there in each other's arms breathing heavily, LeAnn's thoughts turned back in time. Her mother had told her that sometimes, for one reason or another, you just couldn't wait until you're married. She truly felt like this applied to her and Jimmy. She knew how Jimmy felt about marriage. It wasn't for him, J.D. Marcus had taken that option away from Jimmy. With the reputation that Marcus had spun, with lies for Jimmy as a gunfighter, there was no way he was going to endanger the woman he loved to some gunfighter-wanna-be or to someone who thought he had killed or wronged a friend of theirs. She knew that somehow God had made her Soul Mate not the marrying kind. She had made a decision in the heat of the moment tonight. A decision that was irreversible, but she blamed God for her decision. She wanted to give herself to her Soul Mate and nobody else, weather he was the marrying-kind or not. She would marry no one else and she made up her mind right then that she would not be bitter. She would take whatever consequences there were for her decision tonight and would hold her head up high.

Jimmy's thoughts also turned back in time. He remembered the first gunfighter that came after him because of Marcus. He cursed Marcus. He cursed himself for giving into his desire. He knew there was no other woman for him other than LeAnn, but at the same time, he knew that he could never marry her because of his reputation. If something happened and she left him, he would understand, it would kill him, but he would understand. If marriage would be an option for him, then LeAnn would be the woman he would ask. She could take care of herself, he had taught her well. She was almost as fast as he was with the draw, maybe ... He would have to think on it some more, but maybe, just maybe, he could marry her.

They fell asleep in each other's arms. When Lee woke up in Jimmy's arms the next morning, she looked around the room and saw that their clothes were strewn about. _Good. It wasn't a dream. _She thought. The next thing she noted was time. It was 9:00 they were supposed to have picked up the bank bonds at 8:30. She got Jimmy up and they rushed as they got their riding clothes on and Jimmy ran across the street to get the bonds as Lee packed up their belongings. They had not planned on making love all night long, but they did and now they were running late, but if they hurried, they could make it back to Sweetwater in time for supper.

Jimmy met Lee at the livery where they had the horses and she was ready to go. "The bonds just got there, so we're really not late."

"Well, do you think that we can make it back to Sweetwater by supper?"

"If we hurry, maybe, we still might have to stop and make camp, though."

"OK. I'm just worried about Lynn is all."

"Still think that there was something to your dream?"

"Yeah I do." Lee answered as she mounted her horse.

"OK we'll get home as fast as we can." Jimmy said as he mounted his horse. They rode off at top speed.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

They ended up having to make camp about 10 miles outside of Sweetwater. And they spent the night in each other's arms again.

The next morning they woke up early and broke camp on schedule. Lee was still worried about her sister and wanted to find out why she had this nagging feeling that Lynn was not well.

About 5 miles outside of Sweetwater, Jimmy and Lee decided to race. Lee was in the lead when she pulled back on Black and made him stop. Jimmy immediately stopped also, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"There's the windmill. They can't see us yet, though." Lee said as she stared off into the distance.

Jimmy couldn't follow her train of thought. "So why'd you stop?"

Lee took a deep breath, "Because we need to talk."

Jimmy thought he knew what she wanted to talk about, but he wasn't sure. "About what?" He asked and took a deep breath also.

"Last night and the other night." Lee said as she dismounted.

Jimmy was afraid that Lee had started regretting what they did. If she felt like he had pressured in any way, he would never forgive himself. But that was not the case. "Jimmy what if the others find out and Teaspoon fires us or never lets us take a ride together anymore, or makes me move into the house with Rachel ..." Jimmy shut her up with a kiss. If this was all she was worried about, he could handle it.

"Well, then we'll deal with it when that happens. But for now, I'm not going to tell a soul. What happens between you and me stays between you and me and is nobody else's business."

Lee smiled and kissed him. "I love you, Jimmy."

"I love you too, LeAnn."

Lee had learned that first night that Jimmy did not like being called James. He had told her that his mother was the only person to call him that and that was only when he was in trouble, so he had come to hate that name. On the other hand Lee loved her full name, especially when it rolled off of Jimmy's tongue. So there were times when he would call her LeAnn when they were alone.

They rode into the station at a slow canter and Buck came out of the bunkhouse with a letter for Lee. Lee took the letter and Jimmy took the bank bonds to Teaspoon who in turn took them to the bank.

_My Dearest LeAnn, Feb 14, 1861_

_I am writing to tell you that I am laid up for a week or so. I had what they call appendicitis. That is when your appendix is infected and needs to be removed. Please don't worry about it, I'm fine now. Just bored out of my mind, because I have to stay in bed. I should be up and around in a week's time though. Hope all is well with you and hope you had a very happy Valentine's Day._

_Love,_

_Your Sister,_

_Lynnette_

Lee sat down on her bunk and just sighed a sigh of relief, her sister was in trouble, but now she's fine. When Jimmy came in she let him read the letter and chills went down his spine. "Do you still want to go see her?"

"If I can, yes."

"Teaspoon's up at the house now, it's time for lunch."

"Thanks."

When Lee saw Teaspoon, she explained to him what the letter said and Buck over heard what was said. He knew what his dream meant now and was relieved to find out that she was OK. He had written her the same day that she had written Lee to see if everything was OK and in his letter he explained the dream.

"So, can I go check up on her?" Lee asked.

"As long as you're back for your next run." Teaspoon said.

Lee thanked him and went to get ready to ride out. When she was ready to ride out, she ate a light lunch and headed to get Black. Jimmy was waiting for her in the barn. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, but I need to do this."

"I know, just let me know if I can help you."

"If I'm not back you can take my ride."

"OK. But if you're not back by then, I'm coming after you."

Lee smiled, "OK."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The visit with Lynn went fine. Lee told Lynn of her pain and dream and Lynn confirmed that she indeed did have fever, but that she had no pain during the operation, but her side did hurt before the operation. Lee also read the letter that Buck had sent to Lynn asking if everything is OK and was shocked that he, too, knew when Lynn was in trouble. She promised Lynn not to say anything to Buck unless he said something to her first.

Lynn also told Lee of her dream and how she thought it was a medicine-induced dream. However, she knew that it was not a medicine-induced dream when she looked up and saw Lee's face beat red.

"Have you had that dream since then?"

"No. Just the once. It was the night that I sent off the letter to you." Lee just nodded, relieved that her sister would not know every time she and Jimmy made love. "Lynn, promise me that you won't tell anyone about your dream of me and Jimmy."

Lynn laughed and said, "OK I promise. Like I would tell anybody that. Just be careful, Sis. I don't want you to get hurt. I still wish you would've waited."

"I promise I'll be careful. But I love him, Lynn. And remember Ma said that there are times, when marriage just isn't an option."

"I know. I just never thought it would apply to us."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lee returned the day before her run and let everybody know that her sister was fine. Buck was relieved, if he could have, he would have gone with Lee to see about Lynn, but he had a ride the day after Lee left to go Denver.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The young couple found themselves alone by the pond. The ice had thawed, the grass was green, the flowers were blooming and the scene was romantic. They had come out to the pond for a picnic to talk about wedding plans, but somehow had got sidetracked. Instead of talking about the wedding, they were kissing passionately.

As he laid her back on the blanket, a voice inside his head said, _Kid, she's not yours yet. Wait until after the wedding._ Kid had enough sense to listen to that voice inside his head. He kept control of his hands.

"What's wrong?" Louise asked.

"We need to stop while we can." he told her as she looked into his desire filled eyes.

"Why?" She asked surprised.

"Louise, you know I love you and nothing would please me more than to keep going, but, Honey, we're not married yet and I want our first time to be on our wedding night." Kid said as he looked apologetically.

While a little disappointed, Louise did see the logic in Kid's words and agreed that it would be more special if they did wait. She remembered when she walked in on her father and the Widow Jones about three years after her mother's death. That's when she had found out that there were times when it happened outside of marriage. It was still wrong, but it happened. She realized that she wasn't really thinking straight. She had been determined to be better than her father had been that night and here she was just about to break that promise she had made to herself years before. But with Kid's sense of right and wrong, they would wait. But she had learned a lesson that night so many years ago, "Never to judge anyone for one sin in their lives."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

After about a month of Samantha coming around, Lee noticed that she came around only when Kid was around and just hanging on to Cody's every word. This seemed a little strange to her. Not the fact that she was hanging on every word Cody spoke, although that was strange in itself. It just seemed that she was trying to make a show of her feelings for Cody only when Kid was around. When Kid wasn't around, she ignored Cody. Lee was so puzzled by this action; she talked to Louise about it. They came to the conclusion that Samantha was trying to make Kid jealous. Louise was secure enough and trusted Kid enough to know that this plan of Samantha's would never work. Kid had even remarked to her how over dramatic Samantha was.

One day right after Kid had left for a run, Lee cornered Samantha in the barn as she was getting ready to leave. "Leave the Kid alone."

"Whatever are you talking about?"

"Kid's engaged and not available. Stop trying to make him jealous. You're only making a fool of yourself."

"He loves me," Louise said as she entered the barn. "Now I could care less if you _think_ you love him. I _know_ he loves me and we _will _get married this summer. So stop chasing him."

"Ladies, I really don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh so it's just a coincidence that Kid happens to be around everytime you come around or if he's not here, you treat Cody like dirt?"

Samantha got the look in her eyes that said that she was caught, but she was not going to admit it, "For the last time, I don't know what you are talking about. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've papers to grade and lessons plans to make." Louise and Lee stepped back and let her pass.

After she was gone, Lee asked, "Well, what do you think?"

"She'll never admit it. Maybe if I hadn't showed up, you would have been able to get her to admit to it."

"But the look in her eyes was like a mouse caught with the cheese."

"True."

"Think I should talk to Cody?"

"Yeah go ahead and talk to him. Point out how she treats him when Kid's not around."

"OK."

"But ultimately it's up to him."

"Yeah I know. I just don't want to see him get hurt."

"Neither do I, but he's fallen for her so hard, that he's going to be hurt anyway."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lee spent days trying to figure out what she was going to say to Cody. She wished that she didn't have to do this. But she finally got some time alone with Cody when the others were doing chores or on rides.

"Cody, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lee asked nervously.

"Sure, Lee, what's on your mind?"

"Samantha actually."

"What about her?"

"Cody, does it seem odd to you that she's all over you whenever Kid is around, but when he's not around, she treats you like dirt?"

"What are you talking about?"

Lee sighed, "Cody, haven't you noticed that the only time she pays any attention to you it's when Kid is around and when Kid is not around, it's like you don't even exist."

"Lee, you're just imagining things. Why are so concerned with this any way?"

"Because, Cody, I hate to see you being used. And she's using you to try to get to Kid."

"Lee, you're so jealous that I can show my love for a woman in public and you can't show your love for Jimmy that you're either lying or you're imagining all of this!" Cody yelled, as he stormed out of the bunkhouse. Lee just collapsed onto Jimmy's lower bunk.

Louise walked in and observed, "I guess you told him."

"Yeah I told him."

"And?"

"He didn't believe me. He even accused me of being jealous of him!"

"Well, then we're going to have to show him."

"How?"

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"Louise this is crazy, you see how she's all over Cody, how can you say that she's doing that to try to make me jealous? Especially since I'm in love with you?" Kid wondered.

"Kid, you're not around when she treats him like dirt." Lee interjected.

"Fine, I'll go along with it, but to show you that you're wrong about her. She truly is in love with Cody."

"See, girls! Even Kid says that she's not chasing him. I think a man would know if he was being chased."

"Not always, Cody." The two girls said simultaneously.

"Just do as we say." Louise said.

"Fine" The boys answered simultaneously.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Emma and Sam came to see Boggs and Cindy get married. It was a beautiful wedding. Cindy's mother was able to attend the wedding, however, her father had refused to attend. Cindy had asked Sam to step in for her father. Sam had been a good friend to her before he left with his new job. Louise stood beside her best friend as she took the vows. Cindy also added to her vows that she would treat Jeremiah and Theresa as her own children. (She had discussed this with Louise beforehand and they had decided that it was best for them to remain as sisters and for her to take on the mother role with Jeremiah and Theresa.) Bogdanvovich "Boggs" McCloud was surprised at this addition to her vows, but was very pleased.

When the couple had decided to leave to go on a short vacation, Boggs announced that if anyone needed any medical attention in the next week, then Louise could handle it, he was on vacation. Everyone understood and chuckled at his antics.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

It wasn't but just a couple of days after the wedding that Lee's and Louise's trap for Samantha was sprung. Kid was in the barn tending to Katy. Cody had told Samantha that there was oil in the barn that he needed to clean his gun. Samantha volunteered to go get it.

When she went into the barn where Kid was alone, she remembered that she didn't know where the oil was. "Kid, Billy said that there was some oil in here that he needed to clean his gun. Where is it?" she asked in her over exaggerated southern drawl.

"Samantha, you can cut it out. I know how you feel about Cody and I know how you feel about me. I'm in love with Louise and I'm going to marry her this summer."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Rachel and Mrs. Holmes were walking into the barn when they saw Cody hiding around the corner and he looked at them and asked them to be quiet by putting his index finger over his mouth. And they could hear every word that was going on. Lee and Louise were around the other corner.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Samantha turned serious and this time instead of denying it, she replied, "Well maybe this will convince you of who would be the better wife." and as Cody, Lee, Louise , Rachel, and Mrs. Holmes, rounded the corner, Samantha, who had her back turned to the barn entrance, kissed Kid on the lips.

He immediately pushed her away and said in a quiet voice, "I think you better go now." He and Cody had been proven wrong. Samantha was really doing what Louise and Lee had thought she was doing.

Before Samantha could answer Kid, Mrs. Holmes said, "Don't expect my children in school tomorrow. If this is the way that you behave, then I can teach my own children and I'm sure that there are other parents that feel the same way I do."

Cody had already left and was in the bunkhouse on his bunk. Lee went after the man she thought of as a brother.

"Cody, I'm sorry, we had no idea she would go that far."

"Forget it, Lee, you were right and I was wrong. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No. No, Cody, it's not what I wanted to hear. What I wanted to hear was that I was wrong. I was hoping that I was wrong. That you were right and I was just imagining the whole thing," she informed him. "Cody, I didn't want to see you get hurt, I just wanted you to see her for who she was and if you still loved her then great. I was hoping she was who you thought she was."

"Lee, it's all right, you did what you thought was best." Even though Lee truly believed that last statement, it didn't make her feel any better knowing that her friend, her brother was used to get to another friend, another brother. Cody tried to smile as he continued, "You know in the process of making a fool out of herself, she made a fool out of me. I don't think I could ever look at her again."

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that. She'll probably lose her job too. Mrs. Holmes has the biggest mouth in town. I bet that by supper time, everyone in town will know she kissed an engaged man."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lee was right. By suppertime, Mrs. Holmes had Teaspoon call a town meeting and told everyone what she saw. The town decided that they didn't want a whore, and that's what they called her, as their schoolteacher. They fired her. Her house came with the teaching possession so she was evicted as well. She left town the next day and none of the Pony Express Family ever heard from her again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Summer came quickly. Before they knew it, it was almost time for Kid and Louise's wedding.

"If I have to wear a dress, so do you." Louise was saying.

"But I can't. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I can't. I'll lose my job." Lee argued.

"You did it for Emma's wedding."

"You want me to wear the wig and go as Lynn, then?"

"Yeah. I want you, Cindy and Emma standing beside me."

Lee looked at her friend's face and said, "All right. I'll wear the wig. But remember that Lynn's going to be there too. She'll have to go as me."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When Lynn arrived for the summer, she agreed to go to Kid and Louise's wedding as Lee. And Emma agreed to stand with Louise when she was saying her vows. Kid had picked Jimmy, Sam, and Jeremiah to stand beside him.

Although Louise was looking forward to her wedding, she was nervous. She wanted everything to go just right. And Kid being late coming in from his last ride before the wedding was not helping her nerves at all.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Kid was 10 miles from home when he was held up by some bandits. Since they demanded to see the mail, he handed them the empty mail bag and said, "Sir, I just made a delivery. I don't have any mail, I was just on my way back home."

"He's lying, Boss," the small one said. "They always have some bank bonds or money on them."

"Sir, I don't know where he's getting his information from, but it's not true. We don't always carry bank bonds. Truth is most of the time we don't even know what we're carrying." Kid explained.

However, the two bandits did not believe him and the "Boss" knocked him out. They searched his bags and found out that he was telling the truth. When he woke up, Kid checked his pocket and found that the bandits had not discovered the wedding rings. It was getting dark, Louise must be worried. He got on Katy and rode off to Sweetwater as fast as he could.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Louise was standing by the corral with Lee when they heard Buck call out "Rider Coming!" They looked up and since Kid was the only rider out, they thought for sure it was him. To Louise's relief it was Kid coming in. When he dismounted she saw that he was hurt.

"Oh God! What happened Kid?" Louise asked worried.

"I got jumped about 10 miles outside of town. I'm fine though, they didn't get them though."

"Kid, what do you mean you're fine? You're head is bleeding. And what do you mean, they didn't get them?"

"They didn't get these." He said as he showed her the rings.

Louise was speechless as she hugged her fiancée. "Kid, I'm more worried about that cut on your head, let's get you inside the house where I can get a good look at it." He ended up needing three stitches on his forehead, but no other cuts or bruises showed up and his hair could cover that up if he was worried about it.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The wedding was gorgeous. Boggs gave Louise away while LeAnn, Emma, and Cindy stood beside each other, surrounding the bride. Jimmy stood beside Kid, with Sam on the side and Jeremiah, who was proud, stood as tall as he could beside Sam during the ceremony.

LeAnn was able to be with Jimmy at the party afterwards. While Lynnette was there, she was pretending to be Lee and could not spend the party dancing with Buck. She did however get a few moments alone with him.

Emma and Sam's gift to the newlyweds was the deed to the land the station was on, the bunkhouse, and the house. The company would now pay Kid and Louise rent for the use of the land and the bunkhouse. Since they weren't ever going to use it and Emma looked at Louise as a daughter, they had decided it was the smart thing to do.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

After the reception, Jimmy and Lee snuck off to the pond, while Kid and Louise went to the hotel. While Kid was not expected back that night, Jimmy and Lee were expected back and when they came in it was late. The others were organizing a searching party to go find them when they stumbled into the bunkhouse. Teaspoon had determined that they had not been drinking any more than the rest of them and was afraid to ask where they had been and what they had been doing. Although unknown to Jimmy and Lee, they had leaves in their hair, and the others could make a pretty accurate guess as to what they had been doing.

"Next time you go off, tell somebody!" Teaspoon scolded as he left the bunkhouse with the others just snickering.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

In the middle of July, the company started to have trouble with the Rock Creak Station and decided to move the Sweetwater station over to Rock Creak and close down the Sweetwater station.

After talking it over with Emma and Sam, Kid and Louise decided to sell the land so that they would have money for land in Rock Creak. Boggs couldn't stand to be that far away from his daughter, so he and Cindy decided to move to Rock Creek with them. Since it took a while for the land to sell, Boggs gave Kid and Louise what they were asking for it. He and his family would stay behind until the land and his clinic sold.

It took about two weeks after the riders moved to Rock Creak for Dr. McCloud's clinic to sell. Christopher Beckett heard that Boggs was selling and moving, so he and his beloved bought the place and Chris became the new doctor of Sweetwater. It only took a week later for the station land to sell.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When the riders got to Rock Creak, they discovered that the doctor in town had been killed in an accident. So Louise took up the doctor position until her father could get there.

Kid and Jimmy thought it would be best to rebuild the Rock Creak Station near town because of all the trouble that the town was having. It would be best to have the law nearby if they needed it. Kid and Louise took the money that Boggs had given them for the land and bought land for the station. The company had agreed to continue to rent from them if they owned the land for the new station. Since they owned the land, they built Rachel a house, and a house for themselves.

It wasn't long before they found an orphaned 13 year old that desperately was in need of some guidance. They convinced the young teenager that he could stay with them in the bunkhouse for exchange of doing some chores around the station.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

For the 5th morning straight, Lee ran out of the bunkhouse. Her bunkmates were getting worried about her, even though she seemed to be fine later on in the day. This morning, however, Jimmy was going to find out what was wrong. When he found her, she was bent over trying to catch her breath.

"What's wrong, Darlin'?" He asked as tenderly as he could and placed a hand on her back in an effort to comfort her.

"I don't feel good, what does it look like!" she snapped.

Jimmy sighed. He hated to see her this miserable. "Have you found out why you don't feel good?"

Lee took a deep breath to try to calm her stomach and calmly said, "I'll be fine. It always goes away during the day."

"I'd still feel better if you get Louise to check you out. There might be some weird disease that you get sick only in the mornings, but feel fine the rest of the day."

That's when it dawned on Lee just what the problem might be. Whether or not Jimmy recognized the symptoms, she did at that moment. "What did you say?" she asked as she raised her head to meet his eyes.

"Well, since you're sick only in the mornings, I just thought..."

"You're right, Jimmy, I should have Louise check me out." she interrupted as she stood up and started to go over to Kid and Louise's house.

"Lee, where are you going?"

"I'm going to go talk to Louise." she answered as she kept walking.

"Honey, at least give them time to get up and dressed." he said as he caught up to her and blocked her path. She didn't seem to see him, she walked right into him. He could tell she was in a daze and now he was more worried than ever. "LeAnn, what is wrong." he asked sternly.

"I don't know, Jimmy. I just need to see Louise now." She said as she looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him to let her go.

"OK." He said and let her go.

As she walked over to the house, she prayed, _Oh God, no, Oh God, please not yet. Not now please God not now._

When Louise opened the door, she found a very pale Lee standing at her door, "Lee, what's wrong?"

"Louise, I'm sick."

After listening to the symptoms, she felt pretty sure she knew what it was, but she wanted to do a physical examination before she said anything to Lee. "Lee, do you have any idea what could be wrong?" Lee sighed and nodded. When Lee didn't say anything, Louise asked, "Well, what do you think it is?"

Lee went from almost frightened tofurious in an instant. "Damn it, Louise! Am I pregnant or not?!"

Louise sighed and looked at her friend, "Yes. You are. By the physical examination, I'd say about 2 months along."

"Shit! What the hell am I going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you're going to quit riding until this baby is born."

Lee nodded, she knew it was best for the baby for her not to ride anymore. "I'll tell Teaspoon right after breakfast."

"If you want I can tell him for you, all I'll tell him is medical reasons."

"Where am I going to go?"

"Well, first of all, I doubt that Teaspoon would kick you out, and even if he tried, Kid and I own this land and you're welcome here." She said sternly. "Does Jimmy have any idea?"

"No. He's the one that pointed it out to me that I'm sick only in the mornings, but he hasn't a clue as to the reason. Unless he was just playing dumb."

"Well, I think you ought to tell him first. Don't worry about telling Teaspoon, I'll handle that. You just go tell Jimmy that in about 7 months he's going to be a father." Lee nodded.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lee walked into the bunkhouse. All the boys were up and dressed. Lee just went to her bunk and laid down. "Lee, you can't go back to sleep now. It's time for breakfast." Cody announced.

"Cody, you can have my breakfast. I don't feel like eating."

"Fine have it your way." Cody said as he and the others left.

Buck turned back, "Are you coming, Jimmy?"

"I'll catch up." Jimmy said as he turned toward Lee. She had her back toward him.

After they were alone, Jimmy walked over to her. It was only when he hugged her that he saw her tears. "What's wrong? What did Louise say?"

"Are we alone?"

"Yeah."

"I have to quit riding."

This really confused Jimmy. "Why?"

She turned to face him, "Jimmy, ... I'm ..." she bit her lower lip and took a deep breath and just spit it out, "Jimmy, I'm pregnant." she held her breath while waiting for his response.

Jimmy was stunned by what he had just heard. The first thought that went through his mind was, _I should have asked her to marry me when I first decided that I would._ Then his face broke out in a smile. "Honey, that's nothing to be upset about."

"But Jimmy, ..." he interrupted her with a kiss. She sat up and he pulled her off the top bunk that was over his.

"Lee, I should have asked you this a long time ago, but I was afraid you'd say no and I couldn't live with that." He looked at her as if trying to get the nerve up to ask her now.

"What is it, Jimmy?" With the news of her pregnancy she wasn't following what he was saying, it was all rubbish to her.

"LeAnn," he said as he went down on one knee, "Will you marry me?"

Lee practically fell in to his lap and gave him a passionately kiss. She hoped that she would be able to say yes, but she felt that he was asking because she pregnant and she didn't want that. "Jimmy, don't lie to me about this, OK?" Jimmy nodded his head. "Are you asking me because I'm pregnant or because you love me?" She would study his eyes and facial expressions to determine if he was lying to her or not.

"LeAnn, I love you, you know that. I've been thinking about asking you since Cindy and Boggs got married, but I just couldn't chance losing you. I can't live without you, LeAnn. You consume me and have ever since I met you."

Lee could tell that he wasn't lying to her. "I wouldn't have said no. I would have said in a few years after I get my Veterinarian degree, but I wouldn't have said no."

The use of the past tense was not lost on Jimmy. "What's your answer now?"

"Yes." She said with tears of joy in her eyes.

"You still want to wait though?"

"No. No I don't want to wait." she said with a smile and they both stood up. They were kissing passionately when Louise walked in. They heard the door open and pulled away.

"Lee, this will help calm your stomach." she said as she handed some bread to Lee. "It's soda bread, eat a little bit when you first wake up."

"OK."

"You can go ahead and eat some now. You need to try to eat something. If you can't keep it down it's all right, your body has taken what it needs from it."

Jimmy had his arm around Lee's shoulder when Louise turned to walk out of the bunkhouse. "Uh, Louise, do you know how far along she is?" he asked.

Louise looked at Lee. Lee just said, "I hadn't gotten that far yet."

Louise laughed. "Glad to see you're happier now. She's about 2 months along." she said as she left.

"Now we just have to figure out where we're going to live." Lee remarked.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Boggs, Cindy, Jeremiah and Theresa were there at supper to hear of the new engagement.

Lee and Jimmy didn't tell anybody that a baby was on the way just yet. They wanted to announce their engagement first. Louise and Kid gave them part of the land to build a house and construction started immediately. Teaspoon understood that there was some medical reason as to why Lee couldn't ride for the Express any more, and he had no problems with Lee staying in the bunkhouse as long as the others didn't mind. They all agreed that until the house was ready, Lee would stay in the bunkhouse and as soon as the house was ready, they would get married.

A couple of hours later, Buck asked Lee if it would be alright if he asked Lynn to marry him. Lee was delighted and said that it was alright and that she thought that Lynn would accept.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Since it was still summer vacation, Lynn was still staying with Rachel. She was the first person that Lee told about the pregnancy, while Jimmy thinking that Louise would have told Kid, mentioned something about it to him. So only Lynn, Kid, and Louise knew that Lee was expecting as they planned the wedding and worked on getting the house ready to move in.

The house was almost finished and Jimmy and Lee had decided to go ahead and have the wedding the next weekend. When Cody asked why the hurry, they announced that Lee was pregnant. The riders, and the rest of their extended family, were happy for the couple. Even after finding out that Lee was 2 months along.

Lee and Jimmy showed up at the spring dance together, Buck took Lynnette, and everybody was surprised when Ike showed up with Emily. They were all having a good time, when Ike and Emily snuck out of the dance and into the barn.

When Emily's father was killed, Buck had to go looking for them. He found Ike coming out of the barn pulling his suspenders up and some hay in Emily's hair. When Emily reached her father's side, she went into denial. Ike had stayed with her that night to make sure she was all right. After they buried her father, they found out that Emily went after the man who shot and killed him. Ike got there in time to push Emily out of the way and take the bullet for her.

At first, they weren't sure if Ike was going to make it. Louise let her father take care of Ike and remove the bullet, while she removed the bullet that Neville suffered in his shoulder. Louise's judgment was clouded that she didn't use any anesthetic; she let Neville feel the pain.

It was close, but Ike lived. Boggs was sure he would fully recover, but right now he was laid up. He needed time to recover from the loss of blood. When Ike had heard how close to death that he had come, he realized that we were to live life to the fullest every day. When Ike asked Emily to be his wife, she accepted. They set the date for the last Saturday in October.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"I like the name Angel."

"Angel. I like that. But what about a middle name?"

"Don't need one."

"True." Lee said as she splashed Jimmy. Jimmy had gotten some time off and they were trying to have some time alone before the wedding that weekend. Lee knew she would be busy the next few days and they both wanted to take some time out for themselves. As they played in the secluded pond, they both new this would be the last time this week that they would have to relax. Lee would go around the town inviting the citizens to the wedding.

That night, Lee woke up curled up into a ball. She was in so much pain that she couldn't move. When the pain subsided to where she could move, she kicked the bunk above her. This would wake up Jimmy, she hoped. Jimmy looked over the side of the bed and when he saw her crying, he became concerned. He jumped down from his bunk and was at her side instantaneously. "Oh, Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Pain," was all she could say. As she looked at him, he saw the amount of pain that she was in through her eyes.

"Where, Darling?" Since she couldn't speak, she placed his hand on her abdomen. "What can I do?"

"Get Louise." she managed to gasp. The pain was coming back and it was stronger this time. She yelled out and when Jimmy picked her up to carry her to Louise's house, he saw the blood on the sheets. That was when he became fearful for his child's life. He knew that a woman wasn't supposed to bleed during pregnancy.

It was the middle of the night and Jimmy stood at Kid's door, banging on it. At this moment, he didn't care if he woke every person that ever lived. When Kid looked out the bedroom window to see who was banging on his door like the world was going to end, he looked over at Louise and said, "It's Jimmy and he's holding Lee. Something's wrong."

Louise grabbed a robe and raced down the stair and let the couple in. After Jimmy told her what was going on, she had him take her to the spare bedroom. Kid came down to see what was wrong, and was told to get some clean towels and damp wash cloths. He did as he was told and gave them to Jimmy to take them to Louise.

When Jimmy brought the towels and wash cloths, Lee was sleeping. Louise looked at him with sad eyes and shook her head. "She's sleeping for now. But I did everything I could, Jimmy. I'm sorry." She couldn't look at him, she looked down at the floor and gave him the news, "We lost the baby. I need the wash cloths and towels to clean up. It was what the medical world considers a complete miscarriage. There was nothing anybody could have done. I'm sorry." She took the towels and wash cloths and cleaned Lee up while Jimmy sat in a chair by the bed. He stroked her hair while she slept. Louise's voice cut into his grief as she said, "I gave her something to make her sleep. She needs to stay in here for the rest of the night. I'll go over to the bunkhouse and get the bloodied sheets and take care of them."

"Thank you." Jimmy called out as she walked out of the room. When he was alone with his bride-to-be, he crawled into bed with her and held her.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"Is she all right?" a voice in the dark asked.

Louise knew the voice to be Noah's. "She will be."

"What's wrong?" Jesse asked.

Louise saw no reason to hide what had happened, and since they all knew that Lee was pregnant they would find out sooner or later. "Uh, we lost the baby. There was nothing I could do." It was as Louise suspected, Lee had lost the baby before she saw her. There was too much blood on the bed. Louise suspected that it was the fever that Lee had that had killed the baby and that was what she had told her.

"What does that mean?" Jesse asked.

"It means, Jesse, that Lee is no longer pregnant and that the baby died." Louise said solemnly.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When Louise got back to the house, she checked in on Lee. Jimmy was in the bed with Lee holding her. He was not asleep yet, and Louise could see where his tears had traveled down his face. "Jimmy," He looked at her but didn't get up, "When she wakes up, she'll need you. I've seen several miscarriages, and the first thing that happens is that the mother blames herself. You can't let her fall into that trap." Jimmy just nodded as she closed the door. Louise took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to her own bedroom. She had dealt with miscarriages before, but she had never been this close to her patient before.

She was able to hold onto her own feelings until she got into the safety of her own room. Kid had overheard her tell Jimmy what had happened. When he saw his wife, he saw that she was hurting too. He stood there holding her for a while. "How is she?"

"She's sleeping. Jimmy's with her right now." She said as she dried up her own tears. "Kid, I almost lost her. She was hemorrhaging and I couldn't stop the bleeding."

"But you saved her didn't you?"

Louise nodded, "But I couldn't save the baby."

"I know."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When it was time to get up, Louise checked on her patient. Both Lee and Jimmy were sleeping. She decided to let them sleep, although she did check on Lee's temperature and found it was back to normal. Maybe she had been wrong about the fever causing the miscarriage. Maybe the miscarriage caused the fever.

At breakfast she told everyone that Lee had suffered a miscarriage and that Jimmy and Lee would be needing them for support. They all agreed to help in any way they could, but understood that the only way they could help was to be there for them if they need a shoulder to lean on.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When Lee woke up, she felt Jimmy's arms around her. _My baby is dead. He doesn't know. When he finds out that I let his baby die, he'll hate me. He won't love me anymore. He won't want to marry me anymore._ _I can't lose them both_. These thoughts made her weep and she couldn't hold back the sobs that woke her fiancée.

"It's gonna be alright, Sweetheart." Jimmy tried to reassure her.

Lee had convinced herself that she would never give birth, and Jimmy deserved better. Although she knew she could survive without Jimmy, she would never live life to the fullest without him. But she was willing to make that sacrifice if it would make him happy. Since she was also convinced that Jimmy wouldn't leave her after he found out that she had lost the baby, she just blurted it out through her sobs. "No, it's not gonna be alright. The baby's dead."

"I know. It may take some time, but we'll be alright."

Lee couldn't believe what she had heard. "We'll be alright? We'll be alright? How could you say that when you're going to leave me? Sure you'll be alright but I won't ever get to hold my new born child because there will be none for me. Even if I did find someone else - which I won't - I won't be able to have children and when you find that out, you're going to leave me!"

Lee hadn't realized she had spoken out loud, until Jimmy answered., "What are you talking about? I'm not going to leave you. I love you, I'd never leave you."

"How could you still love me when I killed the baby, your baby?"

"LeAnn, you didn't kill our baby."

"Might as well have, I just let it die."

"What could you have done? It's not your fault. You didn't do anything to cause it and you could not have prevented it."

"Jimmy's right." Louise who had been standing at the door, had heard everything. "Lee, there's nothing that you could have done that would have saved the baby and there is nothing that you did to cause this. It just happens sometimes. And yes you can still have children. So don't worry about that. I'll go get you some breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

"Lee, you have to eat something so your body can heal." Louise said as she went to get the left over breakfast for her friends.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"How is she doing?"

Louise sighed, "To tell you the truth, Lynnette, I'm worried about her. For two days, Jimmy hasn't left her side, but she's convinced that he doesn't love her anymore. When he tries to tell her that he still loves her, she tells him that he's lying. I just don't understand it. She needs him right now and the more she realizes this, the more she pushes him away."

"That's just the way she handles it when people she loves dies. We may think she needs us, but she needs to be alone for a while. When she gets her feelings under control, then she will need us, until then, she needs to be alone."

"And I think that Jimmy needs to be with her right now." Louise mumbled as she realized a conflict in the couple's needs.

"Can I go in to see her?"

"Huh? Oh yeah sure, go on in." Louise said as she was brought out of her thoughts.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lynn knocked softly and opened the door. Lee was asleep and Jimmy was just staring at her from the chair he was sitting in. While he slept in the bed at night, he watched over her from the chair when he was awake. "How are you doing?"

"I'm worried about her, Lynn. She doesn't think that I love her anymore."

"Let me guess. She said 'You don't love me, you can't love me I let the baby die.'"

"Yeah and no matter what I do or say I haven't been able to convince her different."

"Well, have you tried just being silent?"

"What?!"

"Jimmy, when our Mama died she did the same thing to Daddy and me. And Daddy felt the same way about us. She's so much like him. She just needs some time alone. She's trying to get you to leave her alone. I'm not saying leave this room. I'm just saying give her some time alone with her feelings. When Daddy died, she thought it was her fault and I needed to be with her and she needed to be alone. Sure she'd talk nonsense about nobody loving her, but she needed to say it. Ignore those comments and let her say them. She'll come around in a couple of days."

"We were supposed to be getting married now." Jimmy said on the edge of tears. Lynn nodded and Jimmy continued, "I'll give her all the time she needs, but I'm afraid I'm losing her."

"You're not losing her. This is just how she grieves. Give her a couple of days of silence and she'll be fine. I promise." Lynn said as she tried to smile.

Jimmy noticed that Lee was crying in her sleep again. When he wiped the tears from her cheek, she woke up. She saw Lynn just a few a feet away, "You hate me too, don't you, Lynn?" Lynn said nothing instead, she just hugged her twin. Lee sat there with Lynn on one side and Jimmy on the other both with an arm around her trying to hold the pain at bay and not succeeding.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lynn's method of silence worked. Jimmy still didn't leave her side, but just kept silent. When Lee woke up on Monday, she wasn't too sure of what had happened. She knew she was in Louise's house, but she wasn't too sure of anything else, except that Jimmy was holding her like he had been doing for the past few nights. Then it came back to her. She had lost the baby. She probably said some awful things to Jimmy and everybody else in the past few days. The fact that he was still here, was a good sign that it wasn't too horrible. Lynn had told her that after her mother died, she had accused everyone of hating her, so hopefully that's as far as it went. She could never remember what happened the first few days after a loved one's death. It was like her brain let her feel the pain for a short period of time and then blocked it all out. If she tried hard enough she probably could remember, but that would just take her back to the depths of pain that she had just left and she didn't want to go back. She turned to where she could see Jimmy and it was her turn to watch him sleep.

Jimmy woke up when he felt her move. Lee smiled at him and he saw that her eyes looked alert this morning. "Jimmy, before you say anything, I want you to know that the past few days have been like a nightmare to me. I remember bits and pieces. I know that I lost the baby. And I have no idea what all I said to you or to anybody else. I just want you to know that no matter what I might have said, I do love you."

Jimmy nodded. He wasn't sure if it was safe for him to say anything yet, but he had to try to let her know that he still loved her. "I love you, too, LeAnn"

Lee looked relieved, _At least I didn't say anything to make him hate me._ She kissed him for the first time in days and he knew that she knew that he loved her.

Lynn was checking on her sister when she opened the door and saw the two kissing. She quietly closed the door and walked into the kitchen to help Louise with breakfast.

"They're still sleeping?" Louise asked.

"Nope, she's feeling better. Now, it's going to be like nothing happened. Some of the things she said, she'll remember and some she won't, like a dream."

"Everybody handles grief differently. I had one patient who after miscarrying, killed herself. Left behind a husband and 6 small children. She was hurting so bad that she couldn't see past the hurt to those who loved her."

"Yeah, well, When Lee gets like that, she's liable to do anything. Thanks for keeping her here and watching over her."

"Like I was going to let her go anywhere else? No, she's my patient and I wanted to look after her."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"How are you feeling Lee?" Cody asked tenderly as she and Jimmy walked through the bunkhouse door for breakfast.

"Better. Thanks for asking, but can we just not talk about it anymore?" Lee asked looking at each of her family members pleadingly. She sighed when they agreed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Even though the house was finished, Jimmy and Lee stayed in the bunhouse until after they got married. Lee said that she wanted their first night in their new house to be on their wedding night. So the night before, she spent the night with Racheal and Lynn. Lee and Lynn stayed up talking half the night

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Ethridge had arrived in Rock Creak earlier that night and checked into the hotel. Mrs. Ethridge didn't know why she felt an urgency to make the second step. They had already found Lee and she knew that they were looking for her. It should be Lee's turn to make next step. However, she also knew that if Lee was anything like her father, their son, then she could hold a grudge for a lifetime. They had made a lot mistakes in the past and had to make up for them.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

The next morning, Lee and Lynn were moving the last bit of Lee's stuff into the house when J.D. and Ellen Ethridge walked into the station. "Good Morning, Can I help you?" Racheal asked the elderly couple.

"We were looking for our granddaughters, Lynnette and LeAnn Ethridge."

"Just a minute I'll see if they're busy." Racheal walked over to the house and stuck her head in the door. "Lee, Lynn, your grandparents are here."

"What?!" Lee asked coming out of the upstairs bedroom that she was fixing up for that night. "How did they know where we were?"

"Do you want me to tell them that you're busy and you'll see them at the wedding?"

"NO! I mean, I guess I'll see them now." _Damn. _She thought. _How did they know I was here? And why did they have to show up today of all days?_

As LeAnn and Lynnette walked out onto the porch, their grandparents couldn't believe that they finally had found them both together. They had been in contact with Lynnette through letters, and Grandfather had visited her at school. But Ellen Ethridge had not seen them. They looked so much like her son.

Lynn had a smile on her face, but Lee wore a scowl. She just waited for them to say something first.

"Lynn, Lee," J. D. said.

"Only my friends call me Lee." Lee said annoyed.

"Sorry, LeAnn. We just came to say we're sorry for turning you out."

"It's a little too late for that don't you think?"

"Lee, give them a break." Lynn pleaded. "I told you they just wanted to apologize for turning us out."

"Why today? Why did you show up today?"

"We just came to apologize and try to get you to come back with us."

"No. No I will not forgive you and no I will not go back with you." Lee started to go back in the house.

"Lee, if they had never turned us out, then you would have never met Jimmy." Lynn pointed out.

Lee had her back turned and she stopped and thought about the man she was going to marry in just a few hours. She turned back towards the elderly couple and said, "Fine I forgive for turning us out. But I'm not coming back with you." Lee went inside and walked back up to the bedroom.

Rachel had not heard the conversation but she knew that Lee had snapped at them and then went into the house. Thinking that Lee had invited them to the wedding, she went up them, "I'm sure she's just nervous about the wedding. I know I was on my wedding day, I snapped at everybody. At least you were able to make here in time for the wedding."

When the elderly couple looked confused, Lynn, explained, "I don't think Lee wrote them about the wedding, Rachel."

"No, she didn't." Mr. Ethridge said.

"But I do know that if you aren't there she'll regret it for the rest of her life." Lynn added. "I'll go talk to her."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When Lee saw Lynn, she announced, "I don't want them at the wedding."

"Come on, Lee, you don't mean that." Lynn tried to argue, but could tell that her twin did mean it.

"Yes, I do. Why should they be there? They turned us out when we needed them the most."

"They are the only part of Daddy that will be able to be there. And if they didn't turn us out, you would have never met Jimmy."

"Why is it important to you that they are at _my_ wedding?"

"Because they are the last bit of our family."

"They disinherited Daddy for marrying Mamma. They were no longer part of our family before we were even born."

"Yes, they are part of our family, whether or not you like it. They are our grandparents. They realize that they have made mistakes, and they want to try to make up for them."

"Then invite them to _your_ wedding. I don't want them at _my_ wedding."

"Lee, if they are not there, and you make up with them later, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. If they are there, and you never make up with them, then they were just strangers at your wedding, no harm done."

After a moment of thought, Lee announced, "Fine. Have it your way. But Kid is still walking me down isle."

"Great. I'll go tell them what time to be back here." Lynn smiled.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Rachel was introducing Mr. and Mrs. Ethridge to the rest of the riders when Lynn came out of the house. "Lee, would like you to be back here at 6:00 this evening for the wedding." she proclaimed as she grinned at Rachel.

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. He knew how Lee felt about her grandparents. He had even brought up the subject of inviting them to the wedding, but Lee refused. Jimmy also knew how Lynn could talk Lee into things. He figured that Lynn had talked her into inviting them since they were already there.

The boys went back to decorating the outside for the wedding while Lee continued to try to get the bedroom to look perfect. Ellen wanted to talk to Lee privately and Lynn let her in the house.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

As Ellen walked into the bedroom, she observed, a vase of wild flowers near the bed on a stand, and candles placed about the room. Lee was looking at the room and muttered. "Something's missing. I don't know what, but something's missing."

"The flower petals on the bed is what's missing." Ellen suggested.

"Excuse me?" Lee turned around surprised.

"Flower petals covering the top of the bed. It will make the room complete, if this is where you are going to spend your wedding night."

Lee just stood there and thought about it. She had to admit that she was right. She was trying to make the room look like the hotel room that they had shared the first time they made love, but she also wanted to add something special. Flower petals on the bed would be perfect. She wouldn't admit it to her grandmother though. "Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to give you these. Your father wanted you and your sister to have them after he had passed away." She handed a stack of envelopes to Lee. As Lee took them, she looked down at them. They were letters that had been opened, but addressed to her grandmother. Some of them were in her mother's handwriting; others were in her father's handwriting.

"Why are you giving me these now?"

"Because, my husband doesn't know about them. He would have destroyed them if he knew about them. And I think it would be a good wedding present from your parents. I never disinherited your father. I loved him with all my heart. I'm sorry I wasn't able to make J. D. see what he did was wrong. I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit you. I tried, but every time I got ready to leave, J. D. wouldn't let me. I understand if you can't forgive me for that."

Something in Lee's eyes softened. "You really tried to come visit us?"

"Yes. When J. D. disowned your father, we thought it would last for a year or so, and then everything would be back to normal. But J. D. never forgave your father for marrying your mother and breaking the betrothal that he had made with a business partner. J. D. made the betrothal to further his business. When James refused to marry the girl, J. D. was furious. The girl and her family understood that James was in love with someone else and the business deal was kept anyway. But no matter what I did, J. D. would not allow James and your mother to come home. Her family had disowned her too. They had arranged her marriage too." Lee nodded. Maybe she had misjudged her grandmother. "Since we thought that they would be back home in a year or so, I kept your mother's wedding dress for her. Just so that it wouldn't get messed up. I brought it with me, because I wasn't sure if you would want to see us again. If you want I could go get it for you."

Lee couldn't believe her luck. She thought that she would never get to even see her mother's wedding dress, let on have the choice whether or not she wanted to wear it. All she could do was nod. She sank down on the bed as Ellen walked out of the room. Her mother's wedding dress. She had planned on borrowing Louise's wedding dress. She had tried it on right after her miscarriage and it had fit perfectly so they didn't need to make any adjustments. But if she could wear her mother's wedding dress...

Ellen returned with two packages. The first package they opened up was the dress. Lee tried on the dress and it was a little loose in the bodice. "I can fix that in no time. Here let me, just pin it and then I'll get to work on it. That is if you want to wear it."

"Oh yes of course I want to wear it. It's beautiful. I was going to borrow a friend's wedding dress. But if you can get this to fit me by this evening, then I'll love to wear this one." Lee said still in a daze.

"Lee, before I start making alterations on this dress, I have to ask you something."

Lee looked at the woman she was beginning to trust. "What?"

"You're not getting married because you feel like you have to are you? I mean if you feel like you have to get married, J. D. and I can help you out with anything that you need. You don't have to get married to support yourself or Lynn."

"You're right. I don't have to get married to support myself and Lynn, I've been doing it all on my own with just moral support from the family that I found here. The boys taught me how to protect myself and they were there when I needed moral support. But's been my paycheck alone that has supported Lynn and me. No, I'm getting married because I have to. I'm getting married because I love Jimmy and I believe that he loves me." Lee affirmed as her hand dropped down to her barren admen. As she thought about Angel for the first time that day, tears came to her eyes, but she was able to push them back telling herself that she had already mourned Angel's death. Ellen didn't notice the tears because she had turned to get the second package.

"Here I think you need this also." she said with a smile.

Lee opened up the second package and found a box full of red roses. "Where did you get these?" she asked surprised.

"Don't you worry about that. But if you need more I can get you more. Well don't just stand there, let's see if you will need more roses for the bed." They started to cover the bed with the petals and found out that it was more than enough. Lee was also able to make a path from the bedroom door to the bed with the petals. Ellen had said that the roses were red for passion and true love.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Louise understood about Lee changing her mind about the wedding dress and even helped Ellen alter the dress. Lee stood in front of a full length mirror. Her wedding dress was Southern Bell in style with a sweetheart neckline. About an inch above the hem there were bows placed about two inches apart. It gave the dress a gathered look near the bows. It was made of white satin.

The boys had placed the satin green bows that Lee, Lynn, Louise, and Rachel had made on the end of all of the rows of chairs. They also had made an arch and had painted it white and had decorated it with wild flowers. Ellen had donated some red roses to go on the arch as well.

The boys were all dressed in their Sunday Best and all of the boys except Kid were standing beside Jimmy when the music started and the bridesmaids started walking down the aisle. Lynnette was first, then Louise, then Emma and Rachel. Then Buck and Ike placed a red walkway made of a piece of material down on the ground. Theresa walked down the aisle dropping flowers on the walkway. The material was to keep the dress from getting messed up. Then Lee walked the aisle on Kid's arm. When Jimmy saw Lee, his mouth dropped. She was radiant. He had heard that she was going to be wearing her mother's wedding dress instead of Louise's dress like planned. She looked absolutely dazzling. He could hardly concentrate during the ceremony. At one point Teaspoon had to repeat the vows Jimmy was supposed to say.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

At the reception, Teaspoon brought out the wine and told everyone that he was lifting the "no drinking alcohol" rule for tonight only and that they had better not overdo it, because everyone had chores to do and runs to take and no one was going to be excused because of a hangover. He reminded them that Jimmy and Lee were on vacation and that while Lee was still going to be going on runs, she would not be back until a week. He was surprised if Jimmy and Lee made it to table for meals during their week off.

Everyone had a wonderful time and Lee got to dance with all of her "brothers" and Teaspoon and Lee danced the dance meant for Father and Bride, while Emma and Jimmy danced as Mother and Son. Jimmy's sister, Cylinda and Nathan were able to make it to the wedding and everyone got to know them. While Lee was dancing with her "brothers", Jimmy was dancing with Emma, Rachel, and Cylinda.

After 3 hours of dancing, Lee threw her bouquet and despite, Emily and Cassie also contending for the bouquet, Lynn caught it. Jimmy carried Lee over the threshold and closed the door with his foot.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Two hours before dawn, Jimmy and Lee made their way to a spot by the pond where they had placed a marker with the name Angel carved on it. They stayed there until sunrise and then made their way back to the station for breakfast. Then they decided that if they were going to get anytime alone, they had better leave town for a few days.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Buck was sitting on a bale of hay in the barn thinking about the last conversation that he had with Lee and Ike when Lynn came in.

"There you are! I was looking for you. I only have a few more days before I have to go back to school. I was hoping on spending some time alone with you."

"Yeah. Me too." Buck said preoccupied. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time alone with Lynn. The reason he was preoccupied was because he wanted to spend time alone with her. He just wasn't sure how to ask her.

Even though Buck knew the answer, he went ahead and asked, "The person who catches the bride's bouquet is supposed to get married next, right?"

"Yeah, but we all know that Ike and Emily are getting married in Oct. That's only a couple of months away..."

"Yeah, but Ike said that he would love a double wedding." Buck interrupted.

Lynn was caught off guard, but chose her words carefully. "But what about Emily, how would she feel about a double wedding? Besides, I haven't been asked by the person I want to marry."

Buck inquired, "Someone else asked you to marry him?"

"Yeah. A long time ago. Before my father was killed. Matter of fact he was killed because I didn't want to marry this man. His twin wanted to marry Lee too, but we just wanted things to stay the same between us. We thought of them as older brothers. But they wouldn't take no for answer. We didn't know they could be like that. When they killed Daddy, we tried to run the farm, but we couldn't. I guess we were too young and didn't know enough about it. So we left to find our grandparents. And you know the rest of the story."

Buck just nodded and held her close as he listened to her painful story. He knew what he wanted to do, only he didn't know how to ask her. He was still having trouble with that. He decided to try once more and changed the subject a little bit. "Ike said that Emily didn't care if they had a double wedding with us. She said it only seems right, since Ike and me are as close as two brothers can get. Matter of fact it was her idea."

Lynn sat there stunned, not sure if she was understanding what buck was saying. "Buck did you just say _our _wedding?"

Buck held his breath, "Yeah I did. But only if you wanted to have a double wedding."

Lynn decided it was time to find out what he was really trying to say, "Buck Cross, are you asking me to marry you?"

Buck looked down at his boots then said, "Yes."

When he looked back up, Lynn had a big smile on her face and said "Then my answer is, 'Yes'. Yes, I will marry you."

Buck took Lynn into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Lee was excited for her sister when she and Jimmy got back and heard the news. Lee also told Lynn that she would be an apprentice to become a vet. Jimmy had taken her to the same school that Lynn was going to get enrolled, but they didn't have a program for vets. So she was going to talk to the vet in town and ask him if he would teach her. Lynn told Lee that she had one more session of school then Boggs was going to take her on as an apprentice. Lee agreed to help with the wedding plans.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

"Jimmy, listen to this." Lee read from a letter that she held in her hand "'...Please, Mom, come live with us. Father will end up beating up to death if you don't get away from him. Please come live with us. He'll never find you. And even if he does, I'll protect you from him. I have nothing to fear from him now.' Dad is saying that JD beats Ellen. He wanted her to get away from him. Maybe we should help her."

"If she'll let us help her, but she wouldn't let your father help her. So, she might not let us help her." After a moment's thought, Jimmy added, "But we do have to try. Let her know that if she wants, she can come live with us if she wants."

"OK I'll let her know. But, I think you may be right. She stayed with him, when Daddy offered her a place to live. There must be something he's holding over her to keep her with him. If we could find out what that is, we might be able to help her when Daddy couldn't."

"You're right. But, how are we going to find out what it is?"

"I'm not sure yet."

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

When Grace saw that her husband was drunk, she braced herself. She knew that she was in for a long, painful night. _At least I'll be able to see my daughter as soon as this is over, _she thought.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Boggs woke up to someone banging on his door. When he opened the door, it was the hotel owner, Bob. He was carrying a woman. She looked as if she had been beaten. "Bring her in here. Do you know what happened?"

"Her husband did this to her. He came in drunk and next thing we know, we hear her screaming out in pain. By the time we got to her, he was passed out on the bed and she was like this on the floor. I brought her straight to you."

When they got her to the office, Bob laid the woman on the bed and Boggs turned on the light. It was then that he recognized the woman. He checked her for broken bones and set the ones he found. He put antiseptic on her cuts and went to get his wife.

"Cindy, wake up, Honey. Your mother's here. She's been beaten again and she's unconscious."

"Is she in the office?" Boggs nodded and Cindy left without another word.

The next morning, Mr. Nelson went to the doctor's office to "collect" his wife. When Boggs answered the door, Mr. Nelson was outraged, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"This is my office, Nelson. I live and work here. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm here to get my wife. The hotel owner said she was here."

"She can't be moved right now. She still hasn't regained consciousness since you beat her last night. I'm not even sure if she'll make it this time."

"What do you mean?" Nelson asked indignantly.

**"I mean, Mr. Nelson, that you may have killed your wife this time!"** Boggs shouted angrily. **"Now, get off of my property."**

**"Not without my wife."** Nelson shouted back.

"I told you that she can't be moved yet and she can't walk!" Boggs said through his clinched teeth. He then slammed the door in Mr. Nelson's face.

Mr. Nelson walked straight over to the Marshall's office. The night deputy was still in the office. Teaspoon or one of the boys never showed up before breakfast. They had chores on the station that needed to be done before breakfast. Someone, usually Teaspoon, would come and relieve Dan after breakfast.

Mr. Nelson took advantage of this. Of course he didn't know that Teaspoon was the Marshall here in Rock Creak either. "I want to report a kidnapping! The doctor has my wife and daughter and won't let them come home with me."

Dan looked at the man suspiciously. He knew Dr. McCloud as a kind man, but firm when someone's health was at stake. "All right, Mr., let's go over there and see what's going on."

When Dan explained the charges to Boggs, he replied, "Come on in and see for yourself if I'm holding them against their will." Mr. Nelson started to come in also. Boggs, with fire in his eyes, said, "You are not welcome. Get off of my land!"

"Why can't he come in?"

"You'll see. Oh good, you're up, Jeremiah. I need you to go get Kid and Louise. If they can spare a couple of the other riders it would be great! Tell them that the Nelsons are in town we have to protect Mrs. Nelson."

"Yes, Sir." Jeremiah said as ran out the door. He knew that his step-grandfather was a very dangerous man. He had seen what he did to Cindy when she professed her love for Boggs.

"So his name is Nelson, huh? He was so upset, he didn't give me his name."

"Grace and Eric Nelson. My in-laws. I've been patching Grace up for 20 years now. She keeps going back to him. He tried to claim that I had kidnapped Cindy when she left on her own free will. Of course he was beating her and Louise stepped in. She pulled her gun on him and gave Cindy the chance to get away. When Cindy did leave, he disowned her."

When Dan saw Mrs. Nelson, he needed no more proof. She was still unconscious and Cindy was sitting begging her to wake up. Grace had a broken arm, two broken legs, her chest was wrapped up, her head was stitched together and she had little cuts and bruises all over her body. "He gets away with this?"

"She won't leave him or have him locked up." Boggs walked over to his wife and gave her a loving kiss on her head. "How are you holding up?"

"OK I guess. I just wish she would wake up-like she always does. She will wake up right?"

Boggs heart broke. He couldn't lie to his wife, as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't lie to her. He had to tell her the truth. "I'm not sure Cindy. I hope so. I've done all I can. The rest is up her and the Lord." When Cindy heard her husband's despair she couldn't hold the tears back.

"If she dies, he hangs for murder, ya hear?" Boggs nodded, but was afraid that Cindy had waited too late to take action.

Jeremiah, Kid, and Louise arrived a few minutes after Dan left. "So she finally left him, huh?" Louise asked as she walked in.

"Afraid not. Bob brought her to me a couple hours before dawn. She was unconscious. She has a broken arm, 2 broken legs, 3 ribs are broken and I think one of the broken ribs might have punctured a lung. She still hasn't come to yet, and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure she will."

"How is Cindy taking it?" Kid asked.

"Hard. She's in there now. I've done all I can."

"OK, Pa. I'll go check on her."

"See if you can get Cindy to eat something."

"I'll try." Louise said over her shoulder as she walked into the office.

"Have ya'll had breakfast yet?" Boggs asked Kid.

"Yes, sir. We were eating when Jeremiah came to get us. Cody and Noah should be here as soon as they get through eating. They have a run when Buck and Ike get back. Buck and Ike will just switch places with them. I have the day off so I'll be here all day. Louise will be here as long as she's needed."

"Thanks, Kid, I really appreciate this. I don't want him anywhere near her right now. If she comes to and asks for him, then he can come in. But not until then."

"**McCloud! I want my wife back - NOW!**" Eric Nelson could be heard yelling from the street. Louise came to see what it was all about.

Boggs opened the door to find Mr. Nelson pointing a pistol at him. Kid saw the gun and stepped up behind his father-in-law as Boggs began to say, "I told you, she can't walk yet. She hasn't even woken up yet. If she asks for you I'll send for you."

"Not good enough." Nelson said as he pulled the trigger. The bullet went into Bogg's stomach. As he fell to the ground, Kid pulled his gun and shot Eric Nelson in the heart instantly killing him.

Louise simultaneously yelled, "**PA!**" She ran to her father's side.

Kid was already bent down checking for a pulse. "He's still alive, Louise. You can save him."

Louise looked horrified. "I've never operated before. All I've done is delivered babies and put bandages on. I've assisted him when he operated, but he did all the work."

"Louise, you have to save him. There is no one else who can do it." Cindy, who had heard the shots, begged. "When I heard the shots, I sent the kids upstairs. Please, Louise, for them, for me, for yourself at least try to save him."

Louise was discouraged, but realized that she had to try to save her father, "He's shot in the same place that Ike was shot. I'll do my best, but it may not be good enough." She said to Kid and Cindy.

Cindy went back to her mother while Louise started to operate on Boggs. "Well, Ma, you can wake up now, Pa's dead. He shot Boggs. Louise is patching him up now. But when he shot Boggs, Kid shot and killed Pa. So now you're safe. Please, Ma, wake up." Cindy was exhausted and put her head down on the table.

"Where's, Pa?" Theresa asked Kid. The kids had come down once it had gotten quiet.

"Louise is patching him up now."

"Is it bad?" Jeremiah asked.

Not knowing how to sugar coat it for the children, Kid told them truth. "Yes, it's bad. Louise is in there trying to save him now. Maybe if we pray for him, God will let him live." Kid had added the last part to make the children feel like they could do something to help their father, besides in his experience a little prayer never hurt and most of the time helped.

Since Dan had seen the whole ordeal, he didn't need to ask who shot first. Matter of fact, he blamed himself for Boggs getting hurt. He was on his way to get the gun away from Mr. Nelson when Boggs was shot. He blamed himself for being too slow. When he told that to Teaspoon, Teaspoon assured him that it was not his fault, and that Eric Nelson had always been a violent man. He even remarked that now Mr. Nelson can't hurt anybody else.

The rest of the riders had shown up with Teaspoon. Lynn went to help Louise, while Lee talked to their grandmother. "That could be you. You have to get away"

But Ellen wasn't listening. "I'll be fine, really, I will." Lee took her in to see Mrs. Nelson, hoping that Ellen would be shocked into leaving J. D. "Lee, I'm just a clumsy person. I'll be fine really. J.D. isn't like that. Your father was misinformed by one of my friends who was convinced that J. D. was beating me. It's not true though." Ellen lied.

The truth was she had been to the doctor's on many occasions to get stitched up or have a broken bone set after a beating. Matter of fact it was the doctor's wife in Denver that wrote James Ethridge about how Ellen always told them that she fell down the stars, but they saw J.D.'s hand prints on the bruises that he left.

Lee was out of ideas at the moment and let the subject drop as she said, "Just know that you can come live with us, if you ever leave him."

"Thank you, Honey, but I don't need saving from him." _God will protect me._

As they waited for Louise finish operating on her father, Grace woke up. Cindy was sitting right beside the bed when her mother opened her eyes. "Hi, Sweetheart. Sorry you have to see me like this again."

"It's not your fault, Ma. And you don't have to worry about him anymore. He's dead. He shot Boggs and Kid killed him. Louise is trying save Boggs now. He was shot in the stomach."

"Go check on your husband. You should be with him."

"Why was he here?"

"A business meeting. We arrived late yesterday and he went straight to the saloon. When he came back to the hotel he was drunk. Now go to your husband's side."

"I can't go to his side until Louise finishes operating. Do you want something to eat? I'll go fix everyone some lunch."

Rachel and Lee had lunch waiting for everyone when Cindy had thought about it. Cindy walked out her mother's room at the same time Louise walked out of Boggs' room.

"I got the bullet out and stopped the bleeding. Now we just wait and see. I think I did everything he did to save Ike, but I'm not sure I remembered everything." She turned to her step-mother, who she thought of as a sister and said, "If you want to, you can go see him. He's not awake yet, though."

"That's OK. I'll go see him. Ma just woke up if someone could get her something to eat, I'd appreciate it."

As Rachel fixed Grace a plate, Cody had to leave to go meet Buck. He would send Buck when he got the pouch. Noah and Ike had already traded places and Ike was eating his lunch, while Noah was on his way to Senica.

As Lee fed Grace her meal, she asked her why she stayed with a man that beat her.

"Because after it happened the first time, I told my parents. I thought that they would tell me to come back home, but instead they told me that if I left Eric Nelson that I would go to Hell. So I stayed with him."

"But that's not true. God doesn't want us to endanger ourselves like that. He wants us to be safe."

"What about those in other countries that are in danger because they believe?"

"That's different. When we are in danger because we believe, God will protect us. But with other things, he provides us with the means to stay safe. When you see a snake nest, you go out of your way to avoid it right? Same thing here."

"God only wants divorce in cases of infidelity and he was always faithful, that I know of. If he divorced me, then I couldn't help that. But I couldn't divorce him."

Grace was right. That was the only reason the Bible gave for a divorce. But surly God didn't want an abusive relationship to last. He made marriage and families for people to feel safe. No matter what Lee believed, she couldn't have Grace talk to Ellen about leaving J. D. Grace would encourage her to stay. At least Grace was safe now.

Kid brought Cindy some lunch and then left the room. Boggs still hadn't opened his eyes since he collapsed after being shot. He went to his wife's side. He almost had to force her to eat.

Jimmy brought the kids something to eat. When he opened the door to Jeremiah's room, he found both kids on their knees, begging the Lord to let their father live. Instead of disturbing them, he just put their plates in a dresser and left quietly.

After Louise ate, she and Kid went to check on Boggs. Cindy was eating her plate of food slowly, but was glad for the company. Louise saw her father's eyes moving under his eyelids. It looked as if he was just sleeping. She checked his wound and put more medicine on it and wrapped it back up. As she was dressing his bandages, she could barely see through her tears and she must've been too rough, because Boggs, moaned, "Be careful, that hurts." He kept his eyes closed until Louise was finished redressing the bandages. "What happened all I remember is Nelson yelling at me."

"He shot you, then Kid killed him." Louise said.

"You were shot in the same place that Ike was shot." Kid remarked.

"Who operated?"

Kid took the opportunity to brag on his wife. "Louise did. Lynnette assisted her."

Boggs looked at his daughter and said, "Thank you, sweetheart. I'm not ready to meet my Maker yet. I have Cindy, Jeremiah, Theresa and you. I do want to see my grandchildren."

Everyone in the room laughed. Then Louise said, "Someone needs to go tell the others and the kids that Pa's awake."

"Louise, what about Grace?"

"She's doing fine. She's awake and talking now. Lee's feeding her now." Cindy said.

"Oh good."

"We nearly lost you both." Cindy said amazed at the miracles that had happened that day.

"Let your mother know that she has a place with us if she wants. Of course she has nothing to fear if Eric is dead."

"OK I'll let her know. But I'm sure she'll need to go back to Sweetwater for her things."

"I'm sure she will. Did you find out why he was here?"

"A business meeting. She said that they arrived late yesterday and he went to the Saloon and came back to the hotel drunk."

"Well, she won't have to worry about that anymore."

When Louise told the others that her father was awake and seemed to be doing fine, the tears of relief came. Kid told Jeremiah and Theresa that they could go see their father. That ran down the stairs and into the room that he was in.

Cindy told her mother about Boggs offer, buts Grace declined. She told Cindy that after she goes back to Sweetwater and gets everything straightened out, she would move to Rock Creak to be close to them. She wanted the kids to call her grandma.

Everyone was glad that Grace would be moving to Rock Creak. There was small farm for sell not he outskirts. They were sure that Grace would buy it and live there.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

By the end of October rolled around Cindy and Boggs announced that they were expecting a baby. Nobody could have been happier for them than Louise. Jeremiah and Theresa were also excited to have a baby sister or brother on the way. Cindy and Boggs had waited for Sam and Emma to come to town before telling anybody.

Emma was needed to help finalize the wedding preparations, because Lynn, one of the brides, was in Denver going to school. Lee, the matron of Honor, was still riding for the Express and could only do so much. Lynn had told Lee exactly what she wanted and Emma made sure it happened. Emma and Sam showed up two weeks early to help out. Two days before the wedding, Teaspoon announced that the Pony Express was going out of business. "We all knew this day was coming. Ever since we moved to Rock Creak, the rides have been mostly government runs for the army and their payroll."

Cody added, "I, for one, plan to join the army."

"When's the last run?" Lee asked.

"Today. Jimmy has it. I want two guns on this one. Part of it is army payroll and the other part is the announcement that the Pony Express is ending and the last pay checks from Russell, Majors, and Wydell for each station. Jimmy, you'll be carrying this as far as Fort Laramie."

"I'll go with him" Lee said.

"OK. I just wish that I could have given you more notice than this." Teaspoon said regretfully.

"At least we own the station so we don't have to look for another place to live." Kid said. "Cody, Noah, you also have some land on this station to build a house if you want it."

"Well, Kid, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll stay in the bunkhouse until I have someone to share a house with. Besides, I'm thinking of joining the army with Cody." Even though Noah and Cassie had been seeing allot of each other, he wasn't sure if he was ready for marriage especially now that he had no job.

"I'll stay in the bunkhouse when I come to visit. But I'm going to travel with the army." Cody said dramatically.

Everyone laughed and Louise added, "Well it's here for you both if you change your minds. We'll save it for you. We bought enough land for everyone. And we've been saving the money that the company's been giving us for rent. We haven't really decided what we are going to yet, though."

"You could always work as your father's nurse." Ike signed.

"That's an idea that we've been talking about. I'm sure I will for while, but when Lynn comes to live with us in December, she's going to be Pa's apprentice. I don't want to intrude on that."

"You wouldn't be intruding." Buck encouraged.

"Rider Coming," Kid announced as a Pony Express employee rode in with a pouch for the last time. Jimmy and Lee mounted up. Lee took the pouch and they rode off as courses of "Ride Safe" rang in the air.

"Matt, Rob, I've got some lunch in there if you want some." Rachel offered as Matt handed Teaspoon the last payroll for the Rock Creak station.

"Thank you, Mrs. Dunne." Rob said and they went into the bunkhouse to eat as Teaspoon handed everyone their last payment. To everyone's surprise, there was a bonus to help out while they found new jobs. They even paid Kid and Louise an extra month's rent. Everyone had a little savings and was hoping that they could hold out before the money was gone.

Kid, Jimmy, and Cody probably would have no problems finding another job, but Buck, Ike and Noah weren't so sure they could find another job easily.

* * *

~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*~TYR*

* * *

Jimmy and Lee returned the day before the wedding. Lynn had arrived on the morning stage and was worried that her matron of honor would not make it back in time. Her new brother-in-law was also supposed to give her away. And neither one of them were there. When she saw them ride into the station, she ran out to great them. "I heard this was the last run." Lee just nodded. "Do ya'll know what you're going to do?"

"Not yet. We talked about it last night, but we're not sure. After the wedding we'll run it by everybody to see what ya'll think."

"Emily, Ike and Buck and I were discussing it this morning. We also decided that it would be best to wait until after the wedding to let everyone know our idea."

"Don't worry, Lynn. Everything will work out."

"I know. Grandma and Grandpa are supposed to come for the wedding." Lee just nodded.

Even though it was a double wedding, it was a small ceremony. The town showed up to show their support for the two couples. Jimmy gave Lynn away, and Cody gave Emily away. Teaspoon officiated. Kid was Buck's best man, while Noah was Ike's best man. Lee was Lynn's matron of honor, and wore a purple dress. Louise was Emily's matron of honor and wore a deep yellow-gold dress.

They used the arch that Jimmy and Lee used and covered it with wild flowers. The brides' bouquets were made of roses. Complements of Ellen. While Ike and Emily used the traditional vows, Buck and Lynn made up their own vows like they did in the Kiowa village. This was their way of combining the two traditions without messing up Ike and Emily's part of the wedding.

At the reception, everyone danced with everyone at least once. Noah took Cassie and she caught Emily's bouquet. Rachel caught Lynnette's bouquet.

Since there was no more Express the newlyweds decided to stay home instead of taking a honeymoon trip. They thought that this would save them some money.

When Southern sympathizers came to town, Frank James, Jesse's older brother, was with them. The union army, who was passing through getting recruits, found out where they were hiding. This band of outlaws were breaking Confederate laws as well as Union laws-all in the name of the South. They said that they stole the money for the South to help them out in the War. When Jesse heard that the army was going to arrest them all, he told Frank about it.

An angry widow, whose husband had been killed by the gang, tried to go with them. Noah went with her to try to protect her. He saved her life by stepping in front of a bullet that was meant for her. Cody saw this and grabbed Noah and brought him to Boggs.

As soon as they got to town, Boggs went to work saving Noah's life. Luckily, the bullet missed all organs. Boggs just had to take the bullet out. It looked a lot worse than it was.

Jesse felt so bad, that he left with Frank as soon as he found that Noah was going to live.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

As they all sat around the table eating, they were discussing what jobs they were going to be looking for. "Does anybody have any idea what to do now that the Express is dead?" Kid asked. Lee and Jimmy looked at each other as Buck, Ike, Emily and Lynn looked at each other and Noah and Cody looked at each other.

"Well, we've been talking about it." Lee said first.

"We thought we would run it by ya'll first. It kindda involves everyone." Jimmy said.

Lee continued nervously, "We thought that since we had all this land, we could maybe start a ranch - if it's OK with everyone."

"Louise and I were thinking the same thing. We could help you and Jimmy." Kid said surprised.

"We could all help." Buck said.

"I'll help when I'm not working for the army." Cody said. "And I'll help with paying for whatever we need."

"Anything to get out of working but still get paid, huh, Cody?" Noah chuckled. "I'll help when Dr. McCloud lets me."

"And we'll have resident vet, doctor, and nurse with Lee, Lynn, and Louise here." Ike added.

"Yeah but I've got to become a vet first, Ike. I've talked with Dr. Smith and he's agreed to let me become his apprentice."

"And in December, when I return, I'll be Dr. McCloud's apprentice." Lynn added.

"Buck, Louise and I were talking and if everyone was going to help us like we had planned, we were going to suggest that you go back to Denver with Lynn. Ya'll shouldn't be apart like that. If we make any profits, we'll send you your share. We're not really expecting to make any profits for the first year or so."

"Are you sure I'm not needed here to help get things started?"

"Your wife needs you more, right now." Louise said.

So it was decided that Buck would return with Lynn to Denver the following week. Before they left, Buck was able to help get some horses from the Sioux for a fair price. Ike helped with the cattle and chickens. Cody and Noah spread the word around town about the new ranch. They came up with the name _The Misfit Ranch_. The night before Buck and Lynn left, Emily announced that she was pregnant.

Lee was a quick learner and Dr. Smith was impressed with her thirst for knowledge. She was good with the animals and soon he gave a raise and started paying her as an assistant.

Jimmy, Kid, Noah, and Ike built a bigger carrel for breeding the animals when it came time to bread them. Jeremiah was able to help build a bigger barn and a chicken coop. The current barn was to be used as birthing stalls.

Lynn and Buck visited Red Bear for Thanksgiving. Red Bear was happy that his brother had found a wife that loved him. They even had a full Kiowa wedding. Lynn was glad that Red Bear accepted her as part of the tribe.

June was busy but happy month. It was the first month that _The Misfit Ranch_ turned a profit by selling some colts that some of their horses had given birth to. Lynn received her license to practice medicine. And Emily gave birth to a baby girl. Ike and Emily named her Emily Elizabeth and called her Liz. Cindy gave birth to a baby boy. Cindy and Boggs named their son Michael Andrew and called him Drew or Andrew.

**The End**


End file.
